Chhaya Kadam on convincing Payal Kapadia for All We Imagine As Light: ‘I sang, showed her how Ratnagiri people dance’

A still from the film

Once in a while, an actor comes across a role that resonates so strongly with them that they almost become possessive about it. For Chhaya Kadam, director Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light gave her that role. The actor was so enamoured by the character of Parvaty that she pitched hard for it. "At one point, I thought the role shouldn't go to any other actor. So, I started listing out similarities between the character and me. I told Payal, ‘I am also from Ratnagiri. My father was a mill worker. We used to live in a MHADA building and now we live in a tower. Everything is the same between us.' I even sang and showed her how people from Ratnagiri dance," she laughs.

Chhaya Kadam

In the Cannes Grand Prix-winning film, Kadam plays a hospital staff member, who strikes an unlikely friendship with two nurses. She had complete faith in the story and in Kapadia's vision. That it was the director's maiden feature did not deter her. She reasons, "For me, the most important part is my character, then the story. I started my career with Nagraj Manjule's Fandry [2013], which was his debut. I feel first-time directors work very hard on their film."

Payal Kapadia

This may just be Kadam's year. She began 2024 with Laapataa Ladies that saw her as the wise Manju mai, followed it up with Madgaon Express, and then had the Cannes win for All We Imagine as Light. The one thing common in all her outings is her characters' feminist streak. She reflects, "I always liked characters that felt like one of us. I enjoyed films that saw the hero defeating the goons with one punch, but they never felt real. I was drawn to Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi's brand of cinema. Now, it has become a habit to do work that I enjoy, and if we can give a social message, then nothing like it."