All We Imagine As Light: Kerala release was like a test for me: Payal Kapadia- Exclusive

Payal Kapadia with her latest film All We Imagine As Light, has captured the imagination of many, as the film went on to win the Grand Prix at the recently concluded Cannes Film Festival. The film is all set for a wider release in India on 22nd November. The film had a speedy release on 21st September, as it was required to make the film qualify as a possible option from India as an official entry to the Oscars. The film is being released by Rana Daggubati backed firm Spirit Media.


Talking about the film, Payal said, "I was happy with the response we got for the film, because I don't speak the language and I didnt want to come across as someone who doesn't speak the language. That was one of my biggest fears . Fortunately, people accepted the film, and I was relieved, the Kerala release was like a test for me.. And thankfully no one came and told me that it does not sound like Malayalam .. Robin Joy, my Associate Director, has been working on the script since 2022 to get the Malayalam dialogues right.”


Adding more, actress Kani Kusuruti, who plays the role of Prabha shared, "The dialogues were beautifully written, but they were neutral. Like everywhere else, Kerala also has different dialects and slangs. So once the two of us were cast in the film, we discussed and developed the back story of both the characters where Divya Prabha who plays Anu, her character can be from Palakkad, and mine from Kovalam, and then we worked on dialects and slangs, and then on some words, so we would speak them, and Robin would record it, and send it to Payal; and if it was sounding right, she would approve.”


Payal also added that though she can't converse in Malayalam, she gets a sense of what someone is saying in the language, and also understands a few words but mostly takes help of both her actress' Kanu and Divya to translate.