One year ago, before the monsoon set in, a film shoot had commenced in the maximum city. And a year later, we conducted an interview and photo shoot with five Mumbai-based women who played essential roles, some for years, in the making of the film that went on to win the Grand Prix at Cannes this May.
The insider perspectives of the crew members, who had been “living, breathing, dreaming” of director-screenwriter Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light — as 30-year-old Piyusha Chalke, one of the production designers, puts it — add critical value to our understanding of the distinct artistic and working styles of the key players involved. That most of these women had the opportunity to work on a project of this calibre so early on in their careers stands them in good stead in a highly competitive industry.
It is apparent that the encouragement to actively participate had a seminal impact on them, not only as film-makers but also as individuals. Thirty-six-year-old Prabhati Gharat, second assistant cinematographer and camera operator says, “Payal and Riku [Ranabir Das; cinematographer and creative producer] let me be myself. They let me learn, grow, and collaborate. And it was quite overwhelming also. It was a beautiful set to be a part of, where we were not really bound by restrictions…this film gave us the agency to be ourselves. At a personal level too, I have started trusting myself more. I would now like to be part of films where I’m not merely looked at as a technician but am valued for all that I bring to the table, beyond simply my technical capabilities or camera work….”
Chalke concurs. “Even though we are much junior to Payal and Riku, it never felt like that. There was always a give-and-take. Even when we did not agree on each other’s views, we would always reflect on them and circle back.”
For Rutu Suthar, the experience was foundational in many senses. It is her second feature, and first as a director’s assistant. She also doubled up as second unit director. “I was 24 when I started working on the film, and I’m 26 now. I’m at the beginning of my career. And going forward, I’ll only work with people who genuinely care about telling a story — and telling it right without any hidden agendas. That would probably be my ‘metre’ to see if I want to be a part of a project,” she says.
The North-South divide of the film industry is blurring, a phenomenon that took seed in OTT subtitling and dubbing before moving to the theatres with the rise of “pan-Indian” cinema. But the trend — where a big-budget production, featuring names from Bollywood and the South, is dubbed and simultaneously released in Hindi and a host of South Indian languages — is increasingly losing lustre, in terms of narrative and entertainment value, much like the latest spate of offerings from Marvel that, in its hey-days, is said to have saved another “hood”. The parallels get more interesting when you consider that the movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe — that have been criticised as “content” rather than cinema — are dubbed in Tamil and Telugu alongside Hindi for the Indian market, with popular actors like Ranveer Singh, Varun Dhawan and Rana Daggubati lending their voices.
And now we have Kapadia who chose to make her first full-length narrative feature primarily in Malayalam because her story demanded it, despite the linguistic barrier. Taking a call that is purely rooted in authenticity and the desire to offer a layered, nuanced look at our diverse cultural and social milieus is rare. Thirty-five-year-old Akhila Menon, associate costume designer and one of the few Malayalis in the crew, says, “All We Imagine As Light is naturally pan-India because it is multicultural and multilingual. There’s a little bit of Marathi, there’s Malayalam, and Hindi in the film. I’ve been part of films that are pan-India and it’s about getting a star from down South, one from Bollywood. And it is profitable. Payal has not made it that way and she has incorporated Malayalam despite not knowing the language at all. She would make such an effort to understand the nuances of the language. I remember, I would hear her speaking in Malayalam, to break that barrier….” This film, she adds, exemplifies how one can make a pan-Indian film without centring it around profit.
Apart from directors, crew members are often overlooked despite putting their skin in the game. Women, who form the minority, often find their voices stifled in a hierarchical and sexist industry. But on this set, they were mentored by various team members who created an environment that fostered creativity and debate — and these women, who were put in positions of power and seen as equals, are likely to pay it forward to young hopefuls.
Kapadia doesn’t let an opportunity, where her voice can empower others, slide by. During her acceptance speech, she expressed solidarity with the festival workers [who had been protesting for better pay] while also gracefully thanking Cannes, the three main actors (even hugging them mid-speech, having invited them on stage with her), the producers and “my entire crew, a lot of them are here today. It really takes a village to make a film. This film wouldn’t have been possible without them”.
When we found out that the film was going to Cannes, we immediately started making arrangements for our crew to join us,” says 32-year-old Nikita Parikh, associate producer and continuity supervisor, who is currently working on the film’s release. “We managed to take 16 crew members from India to Cannes…it was a huge Indian contingent…and I don’t think it’s a very common practice. So, that, in itself, was a huge point of celebration for us — that there were so many of us there.”
With its recent victory, and the accompanying exposure, will All We Imagine As Light prove that indie films can win over the masses? “I do think that the film will connect with folks who don’t necessarily consider themselves to be lovers of independent cinema. Our hope is that when we release in the cinemas, we will see audience members from different walks of life. And it does have that sort of a reach…the main characters, Prabha and Anu [played by Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha], will find resonance with a middle-aged woman in France as much as an Indian woman who lives in Mumbai. The film is artistic but it is also very universal in its emotionality,” says Parikh.
Primarily produced by Paris-based Petit Chaos, the French release — on October 2 — was the first to be confirmed. In August, Sideshow and Janus Films — they picked up the North American distribution rights a few days before the world premiere at Cannes on May 23 — as well as BFI Distribution, which is releasing the film in the UK and Ireland, confirmed the November release dates of the Indo-French co-production. Then, in the second week of September, it was announced that Spirit Media — founded by Rana Daggubati, the southern star who became a household name when Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) kicked off the pan-India wave — had acquired the Indian distribution rights for the film. The film was released in limited screens in Kerala — under the Malayalam title Prabhayay Ninachathellam — shortly after, on September 21. We are to expect a multi-city release soon, they say.
The film is set to “become one of the most theatrically distributed Indian indies of all time when it hits cinemas worldwide”, according to Variety. But one wonders how easy it would have been for the film — its Indian co-producers comprise Mumbai-based Chalk & Cheese Films and Das’ Another Birth while Netherlands’ BALDR Film, Luxembourg’s Les Films Fauves, Italy’s Pulpa Films and France’s Arte France Cinéma have been named as minority co-producers — to find a release in the country at all had it not secured the victory it did. While it seems like a coup — a collective triumph — it also points at the struggles faced by independent cinema in India.
Almost operating as a focus group, the five women share insights about the industry and throw light on the ground reality, even as they make way for an alternative discourse. In an oral history, they speak of their roles, revelations and on-set practices that added to their mental and physical wellbeing; an urgent need of the hour, as highlighted by the new #MeToo wave in the Malayalam film industry.
All We Imagine As Light will be presented as the opening feature at the MAMI Mumbai Festival (19th-24th October, 2024).
Click here to read excerpts from the interview with the crew members.