As Payal Kapadia-helmed All We Imagine as Light makes headlines globally, one could only revel at the sheer display of sisterhood and friendship in Indian cinema.
Thirty years after Shaji N Karun's Swaham (1994) made it to Cannes, Payal's women-led film, which is majorly in Malayalam language, not only won a spot in the competition section of the prestigious film festival but also bagged the Grand Prix – the second-biggest accolade at Cannes.
Alongside Payal, Malayalam cinema also made history with its two crowning jewels, two exceptionally talented women striving hard to make a place for their talent in a misogynistic industry: Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha.
Payal's speech as she won the Grand Prix brought tears to the eyes of her entire team; but as a lover of Malayalam cinema, this author couldn't help but proudly look at Kani and Divya's overwhelmed faces in that moment of triumph.
(From L) Kani Kusruti, Chhaya Kadam, Payal Kapadia, and Divya Prabha at Cannes.
(Photo Courtesy: X/ @ifiofficiel)
As Kani plays the older nurse Prabha, Divya plays the younger nurse Anu in All We Imagine as Light – a tender portrait of two Malayali nurses in Mumbai, their relationships, sisterhood, fleeting moments, and the manifestation of dreams – we witness these two actresses' sublime journey from indie beginnings in Malayalam cinema to global acclaim with profound reverence.
No Part is Too Small for Kani Kusruti
Kani Kusruti, who has had a strong acumen for acting since her childhood, honed her skills by actively enrolling in drama and theatre before making her mark in Malayalam cinema.
She donned significant parts in the anthology film Kerala Cafe (2009) – in a segment called 'Island Express' directed by Shankar Ramakrishnan – M Padmakumar directorial Shikkar (2010), and Cocktail (2010) directed by Arun Kumar Aravind.
She has parallely shone in theatre, TV, and short films, admittedly as an artist who doesn't differentiate the medium and size of roles.
However, the 2019 film Biriyaani directed by Sajin Baabu had Kani in a leading movie role. She basked in the critical acclaim, festival run and appreciation garnered for playing Khadija – a woman wronged by the patriarchal society and religious norms.
Despite the questionable politics of the movie, Kani's performance platformed her as an actor the world should take note of. She won the BRISCA Best Actress Award at the Moscow International Festival and also the Kerala State Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Khadija.
But what truly distinguished Kani's achievement was when she dedicated the award to PK Rosy – the first heroine of Malayalam cinema and a victim of Kerala's underspoken evil of casteism. So it came as no surprise when Kani carried a 'watermelon bag' on the Cannes red carpet during the premiere of All We Imagine as Light and stood in solidarity with the Palestine cause as the spotlight turned to her.
All We Imagine as Light actor Kani Kusruti shows solidarity for Palestine at Cannes.
(Photo Courtesy: X/@mystic_riverrr)
Kani's multi-faceted acting portfolio somersaults medium and language barriers. She has donned pivotal parts in OTT originals across multiple languages including Hindi, English, Tamil, and Telugu.
Be it Disney+Hotstar's OK Computer (2021), SonyLIV's political drama Maharani (2021), Netflix's Killer Soup (2024), Amazon Prime's Poacher (2024), or even the recent Zee5 political thriller Thalaimai Seyalagam (2024), Kani has left her mark by giving life to some of the strongest and layered women characters in the OTT space as well.
She was also a part of Kamal KM's Pada (2022), arguably one of the strongest political movies of this decade from Malayalam cinema, based on the Ayyankali Pada Hostage Protest of 1996. She played the fictional version of real-life revolutionary Babu Kallara's wife in the movie.
Kani's performance in Sanal Kumar Sasidharan's Vazhakku (2022) as a mother to a mute daughter and a woman who fights tooth and nail with her abusive husband reaffirms her knack for portraying women of resilience, strength, and human flaws.
Divya Prabha's Transition to Lead Roles
As for Divya Prabha, who made her screen debut with the 2013 film Lokpal in a less significant role, transitioning to pivotal roles and then to lead roles had not been an easy road either.
With almost 20+ films to her credit today, the Kochi-based actress became a household name not through mainstream Malayalam movies, but through popular TV serials: Parasparam (2014) and Eswaran Sakshiyayi (2015). She won the Kerala State Television Award for Best Second Actress for the latter.
Despite doing smaller parts in quite a few movies, her breakthrough and widespread acclaim in cinema came in the form of Jincy in Mahesh Narayanan's Take Off (2017) co-starring Parvathy Thiruvothu. An inspiring story of survival based on the ordeal of Indian nurses in the city of Tikrit, Iraq, Divya played one of the many nurses trapped as a hostage. Her performance was lauded by the mainstream and arthouse cinema audience alike and the film was a box-office success as well.
Divya continued doing a mix of smaller, significant, and insignificant parts in movies like Kammara Sambhavam (2018), Prathi Poovankozhi (2019), Thamaasha (2019), Nizhal (2021), and Kodiyil Oruvan (2021) before landing her first role as a lead in Mahesh Narayanan's Ariyippu in 2022. It's quite poetic to note that Divya's first major acclaim and second turn of widespread critical appreciation came through Mahesh Narayanan's movies.
For her deeply moving and devastating portrayal of Rashmi, a woman who has been put through trials and tribulations (even by her partner) after a scandalous video leak, she was nominated for Best Actress at the Locarno International Film Festival. Critics raved about her act as an indispensable element of the film, her indecisiveness, and silences, the most beautiful moments of the film. Divya is particularly stunning in moments of naivety and strength amidst adversities.
In Don Palathara's festival favourite Family (2023), Divya is Rani – a woman who is forced to gulp her words down in a regressive Syrian Christian family that protects its men and relegates its women to protect the family's honour.
After making waves at All We Imagine as Light, the actress is heading to play the lead role in director Jeo Baby's next after Kaathal (2023) and The Great Indian Kitchen (2021).
Agents of Change
Much like her co-actor Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha also sees no distinction in the medium or length of the roles she gets to play.
She has time and again made her stances clear as a voice of reason, be it by participating in the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) protests against reinstating actor Dileep in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) amidst sexual harassment charges against him or by upholding the Constitution against the Ram Mandir politicisation by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Throughout their careers, Kani and Divya donned characters that underlined the complexities of being a woman and acted as agents of changing their destinies. Now the world is taking note of their exceptional talent.
When the burning question of the 'invisibilisation of women in Malayalam cinema' takes centre-stage amid the successes of films like Aavesham and Manjummel Boys, we today have two prodigiously talented women making waves at Cannes in a women-led film.
For Kani and Divya, this is a celebration of their relentless hard work, dedication, and courage to pick on more challenging parts, but for thousands of aspiring actresses out there, it is a licence to dream. A licence to strive hard, better themselves, and push the boundaries of storytelling.
If there's anything this monumental achievement by Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light signifies, it is that cinema needs to be inclusive. It is as much for women as it is for men. Recognising female talent, empowering and vouching for sisterhood, breaking stereotypes while recognising independent cinema, and encouraging diverse narratives are the ways to change industry dynamics and create a global impact.
(Anjali M is a writer, freelance marketer, and digital strategist. She currently works as a manager, Marketing & Client Success. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed are the author's own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)
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