A pivotal scene in the film “All We Imagine as Light” features a lonely woman, Prabha, cradling a rice cooker, which serves as a transformative moment in the narrative. This brief yet impactful moment reveals her deep yearning and vulnerability, allowing her character to resonate with the audience.
Prabha, portrayed by Kani Kusruti, is a nurse in a Mumbai hospital, sharing her life with a younger nurse, Anu, and an older cook, Parvaty. Prabha, in her late 30s, is depicted as reserved and industrious, with a melancholic demeanor and a husband living abroad whom she has not seen for a long time. Her introspective nature suggests an internal struggle, contrasting with her professional responsibilities.
Written and directed by Payal Kapadia, the film explores Prabha's life during a tumultuous period. Anu, her roommate, is involved in a secretive affair, which has become a topic of gossip among their colleagues. Meanwhile, Prabha is also assisting Parvaty, a widow, in navigating legal challenges to remain in her home. The film subtly conveys themes of impermanence and the complexities of life.
“All We Imagine as Light” does not follow a conventional narrative structure; instead, it unfolds in a series of vignettes that reflect the unpredictability of life. The film addresses various themes, including women’s experiences, relationships, and the nuances of love and loss, often conveyed through seemingly unrelated scenes.
Two significant scenes occur nine minutes apart, both featuring Prabha rising from bed during a rainstorm. The first scene introduces a rice cooker that arrives without a sender's information, prompting Anu to question its origin. Prabha's silence hints at her private nature. In a moment of solitude, she reads a poem from a male admirer, revealing a deeper layer of her character.
The second scene further develops Prabha's character as she struggles against the wind to close a window, then begins to clean the kitchen floor. The camera focuses on her actions, particularly as she retrieves the rice cooker and cradles it in an intimate gesture. This act symbolizes her connection to her husband and evokes a broader sense of desire.
Through this scene, Kapadia elevates the ordinary to the extraordinary, illustrating how objects can carry profound emotional significance. The rice cooker becomes a vessel of longing, reflecting the complex interplay between memory, desire, and the human experience.