It’s been a decade-long journey from film school to red carpet for Mumbai director Payal Kapadia. If you want to follow her path she’s got some advice.

A movie that originated from a film school project in India has now captured top honors at international film festivals. But Payal Kapadia, who directed it, says it is a mistake to think about a film’s reception while making it. 

The movie “All We Imagine as Light” won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024 and then captured top honors at other festivals: San Sebastián, Spain; Chicago, United States; and Jerusalem in Israel. What’s more, the film was nominated for the Golden Globes and the British Academy Film Awards.

Indie or independent films are films made outside the major film studio system. They are celebrated for their artistic freedom, free from commercial and formulaic expectations of the studios. 

“All We Imagine As Light” follows the journey of two Malayali nurses, from the southern state of Kerala, who are reluctant roommates in Mumbai, India’s financial hub. Within this context, the film explores the complexities of migrant life in the city.

As per Statista, the annual global box office revenue of the ten highest grossing independent movies more than doubled between 2011 and 2024, but dipped by about 18% between 2023 and 2024. According to the Indy Film Library, a motion picture news service based in the Netherlands, the share of independent films in total ticket sales witnessed a decline for the first time in five years, from about 22% in 2023 to 18% in 2024. 

Business in this industry is a tightrope walk. Indie films often grapple with securing sufficient funding, not only for production but also for distribution, and face stiff competition from big-budget movies. 

Within this context, we sat down with Payal Kapadia to delve into the intricacies of independent filmmaking and the story behind “All We Imagine As Light”.

A small film reaches big screens.

Shefali Malhotra: Congratulations, Payal! You have had a hell of a year.

Payal Kapadia: Thank you!

Malhotra: Your journey began at the Film and Television Institute of India [FTII], the country’s top film school. From your perspective, how vital are film schools for budding filmmakers?

Kapadia: I don’t think it’s a necessary requirement. It really depends on your temperament. For me, I was somebody who really liked academic spaces. I think that they really enriched me and helped me grow. So, for me, it was the right choice to go there. I also think that because FTII was a public film school, we had a lot of diversity. My batchmates were all the way from Leh Ladakh in north India to Polachi in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Having different perspectives always helps when you’re making cinema. But again, you can find these things outside of film school also if you are motivated. 

Making a movie

Malhotra: Tell me a little bit about the process behind “All We Imagine as Light”.

Kapadia: I wanted to make a short movie for my diploma project [back in 2015] about two girls who were roommates but not really friends, a hostile sort of situation. I decided to make them nurses. As soon as I did that, I needed to research more because I didn’t know anything about that world. I felt it was not the right time for the movie and put it aside for 3-4 years.

When I was thinking about a fiction movie again, I came back to this idea. I placed the story in a hospital in Mumbai, giving me the possibility to talk about complex things such as women’s body fluids, contraception and loitering. While researching the film, I met some 200 different nurses from different backgrounds and stages of their careers. The script evolved with each interaction.

I was writing the film at the time of working on “A Night to Know Nothing” [which was released in 2021]. We had funding by 2021, when “All We Imagine As Light” went into pre-production. Even then, I kept changing the script based on an actor’s personality.

Where the money comes in

Malhotra: This movie has been co-produced by several companies, including Petit Chaos [a French film production company], with whom you have collaborated on your earlier films as well. At what stage in your creative journey did you start looking for funding for “All We Imagine as Light”? 

Kapadia: I really developed “All We Imagine as Light” with Petit Chaos, while working on another film with them. [Petit Chaos is a partnership of film producers Thomas Hakim, who is Australian, and Julien Graff, who is French.] I think cinematically, even though we are from different cultures and countries, we bonded on our film choices. They are really great collaborators. I think this is how I will like to work in the future also. 

Usually, we apply to funding bodies that are available all over Europe and other countries. You then give an interview, and hope to get funding. We had many rejections in the process. The good thing about the European funding system is that you can apply at different stages of filmmaking. So, you can apply for a research grant during your story research phase or a development grant when you start writing your script. 

It’s not a lot of money but it’s enough to keep yourself motivated.

Malhotra: What tips would you offer aspiring filmmakers working on low-budget projects?

Kapadia: Independent cinema in India is doing more now because of access to cheaper cameras. It goes to show that it’s really about a good story with somebody who has clarity on what they want.  A lot of younger filmmakers need to kind of be open that it’s okay. You can even shoot a movie with an iPhone.

I think if you want to make a movie, you should first focus on writing and making a solid script. Then find a visual medium that works best in your budget and makes aesthetic sense. 

Getting your film to a film audience

Malhotra: You promoted “All We Imagine as Light” on social media a lot. What did you learn about film distribution through this experience?  

Kapadia: I learned a lot. I wanted this movie to release like any other movie, that you can go to a PVR or a Cinepolis [Indian cinema chains] and buy a ticket to watch it. So, we distributed the movie through social media. 

We didn’t even put up a poster in the cinemas. We didn’t have the budget. It was just by means of press that we got the word out. Cinemas in India were reluctant to screen our films because of other big releases. We dealt with their concerns by starting a campaign asking people to fill a Google form to state which city are they from and whether they will come watch the movie. We then got in touch with different cinemas and some agreed to release it. We also wrote to many colleges with film societies and nonprofits who work on women’s issues.

Malhotra: Finally, before we take your leave Payal, what key gem of advice would you give to aspiring indie filmmakers? 

Kapadia: When I was a student, I would be obsessed with the end result of the movie: Who will like it? Will people like it? Will it go to a festival? 

I feel that was a big mistake because you start making decisions which are not really based on your true instinct, instead putting too much value on what other people say even before the idea has germinated. 

That’s why when I started making feature films, I just focused on getting them made without thinking too much about whether they will get a release or go to a festival. I’m not saying don’t think about the audience. 

After all, you are making a movie for people to see, so you will obviously think about it. But sometimes it just gets you down and kills the idea itself. 

Three questions to consider:

1. How vital are film schools for aspiring independent filmmakers?
2. What should independent filmmakers focus on while making a film?
3. If you were given funding to make a movie, what would it be about?

Shefali Malhotra is a health policy researcher based in New Delhi and a graduate of the fellowship in global journalism at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. 

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