Starring: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu Haroon, Azees Nedumangad, Anand Sami
Director: Payal Kapadia
This is one Indian film that has made an indelible mark on 2024, which will spill over into the New Year as it goes on to compete for the Golden Globe Awards in not one but two categories.
Prabha (Kusruti) is an unassuming and hard-working nurse at a Mumbai hospital who seems to be visibly bogged down by multiple cares of the world beyond the demands of her profession. Her younger and cheery colleague and flatmate Anu (Prabha) strikes quite the contrast with her carefree ways.
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Anu is keen to embrace every ounce of romance that life has to offer, including in the form of a frowned-upon love affair with her Muslim boyfriend Shiaz (Haroon). A more restrained Prabha finds herself unable to reciprocate the obvious affections of Dr Manoj (Nedumangad) over misguided loyalty towards an absentee husband in some far away land. However, being from the same state in southern India and having the Malayalam language in common proves a strong bonding factor, overriding the clashing temperaments of these two young migrant nurses.
When their older colleague, Parvaty (Kadam), is faced with the prospect of homelessness in a teeming metropolis, it results in them forming a trio of sorts. Once Parvaty decides to abandon her fight to hold on to her city dwelling and relocate to her rural home by the beach, Prabha is by her side given her affections towards this maternal figure. Anu offers to help out with more of an ulterior motive – the prospect of a rare rendezvous with Shiaz. Will these three women find what they are looking for or will the hum-drum of their daily lives eventually subsume all their desires?
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It is no wonder that this subliminal tale set against the hustle and bustle of Mumbai has caught the imagination of audiences the world over. Through the blue hues of the cinematography and a sensitive feminine gaze, Payal Kapadia has managed to create a beautiful work of art that draws the viewer in on a journey with each of the characters unfolding on screen.
The extremely accomplished performances of the actors, each of whom seems to embody their respective roles with such ease, make this tale of friendship and loss quite the mesmerising ride. The commentary about the rudderless urban sprawl of a rapidly growing economy hangs with feather-touch lightness upon this story, which is ultimately about finding the light within all the day-to-day struggles of life.
