“It is not just an Expensive City, but a Brutal City as well,” concurs Payal Kapadia
Filmmaker Payal Kapadia talks with IBNLive about her film ‘All We Imagine As Light,’ which deals with all the issues migrants in Mumbai face:.
Discussing preparation for All We Imagine As Light, her first feature, to release November 22 in India, director Payal Kapadia describes the film more of a ‘poem’ to Hindustan Times. Shot in tones of blue and yellow, this Grand Prix winner at Cannes 2024 is an ode to millions who flood the city of Mumbai with hope of life and a better future.
Mumbai’s Life – Payal Kapadia
Ask the director if this means that these characters-Prabha (Kani Kusruti), Anu (Divya Prabha) and Parvaty (Chhaya Kadam)-unite more through their miseries and problems rather than happiness and Kapadia answers, “I would think that whenever there is Anu and Shiaz (Hridhu Haroon), it is more joyous; whenever they are walking around, exploring Mohammad Ali Road, exploring the parks, etc, that part for me has some feeling of delight because everybody’s perception of a city is different.”.
Like some of us might find it monotonic, but when you are in the first romance, you might find it full of joy. You know, they-the three women-are there for each other, they reach out to each other, that’s how the friendship evolves.
Kapadia believes that it is a very challenging city to live in and adds, “Everybody’s perpetually moving (homes, transport, etc). It’s not always easy to live in Mumbai and we saw during COVID also, so many people had to go back because it wasn’t possible to live here; it’s so expensive. For me, sometimes it can be a brutal city also.”
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Kapadia explains -Tale of two women
As to why she chose two Malayali nurses as the central characters of the film, Kapadia explains: “Language was a significant issue for me. When I began writing the film, most of the stories I got came from Malayali nurses as I was spending much time in hospitals because of some family issues.”. But I also feel that when you are from the South, for example, to come to a city like Mumbai, then the language barrier is a real thing. A lot of people feel that sense of alienation.
I feel that language can unite you, also. So, a lot of Malayalis and Tamilians stick together. A friendship between a Maharashtrian woman and a Malayali woman is not that common. Because we like to stick with each other and our language and what we speak and what we feel comfortable with. And they are actually a nurse and a cook, which also doesn’t happen always. That’s a more hopeful, fictional relationship in my dream world.
A coming home
The 38-year-old director said, “Thanks for the award at Cannes, I think it’s way beyond a dream as far as the release of a film in India. Releasing a film and having a hit is another amazing thing. Both things are good for me.
How many people actually know about film festivals outside? Not that many; in urban places yes but overall, in the country, people don’t know.”. With regards to Cannes, I was quite lucky then because I realize how tough it is for filmmakers to get a chance to show off their film in the hope that perhaps it might get selected at big events. You also know next time it won’t be that lucky-that filmmaking is very much up and down, so you have to take everything with a pinch of salt. I mean, for two years, we thought that we won’t raise the money for this film and maybe we should do something else,” she explains.
Working with Divya Prabha, Kani, and Chhaya Kadam has taught Kapadia a lot according to her, and she believes she gained a family while making this film. However, her stint in the world of cinema hasn’t been easy. “Whether it is mainstream or whether it is making films that are not industry-supported, it is difficult for filmmakers.”
And even in the big movies, sometimes people are taking such huge loans and there’s so much risk. It’s a risky job. I think everybody finds it difficult at every step and it doesn’t get easier either. Like, the bigger the budget, the more pressure that there is to perform. For me, it was pressure whether I could raise money to make my film, and at that point, you wonder what the hell am I doing with my life? That’s always there.
Kapadia reveals that her next film too is based in Mumbai as that is the city she knows best. And if Prabha, Anu and Parvaty achieve their dreams in Mumbai, the city of dreams, Payal Kapadia laughs and replies, “For me that could be another film after this film.”. I feel that whatever each one is going to do next, there’s going to be little understanding between them and they’ll at least be that family that they couldn’t get at home.
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