Everything we imagine is light: What this Cannes-nominated film can teach us about money and dreams

Former US President Obama included the film on his list of must-see films for the year, the Cannes Film Festival celebrated the film with a prestigious Palme d’Or nomination, and many film festivals celebrated the two working in Mumbai. Rayari Nurse’s Life with Prizes…

In the past, the BBC and other “foreign” television channels have celebrated the strange joy of poverty in India by showing images of BMWs and Mercedes-Benz cars trying to navigate traffic, with cows parked peacefully on the road On the way. Then we started a movement of art films showing people like Smita Patil bathing in the middle of a slum. Now, this competes with one woman’s eyes to live the lives of three women, which may seem mundane on the surface, but when you look beyond the clutter of shared accommodation, you see the anticipation of tomorrow in their eyes and you begin to relate to them Resonate and pray without realizing it, hoping that their dreams will not become illusions. This is powerful.

What money lessons can we learn from the humdrum lives of three workers?

Who pays the price for crazy development?

Parvati, played by the talented Chhaya Kadam, is a humble hospital cook who has a big decision to make. She lived in a hut most of her life, and although people could prove she was a resident, she had no documentation proving that the ‘kholi’ was hers.

Many of us have experienced the mad dash after inheriting an ancestral property that has been part of the family for generations but with no or incomplete documentation proving ownership. Even if you have a competent person who can handle lawyers and court applications and municipal corporations and their endless forms, this is a hassle.

Many of the cottage’s residents have been bribed by builders who plan to demolish the cottage and build high-rise buildings in its place. Parvati was not even eligible for the payment because she was undocumented.

A smart investor like you must ensure that all the paperwork for selling your old property is in order, including registering the property in your name and other documents that need to be submitted. When you sell your property, make sure you understand how much capital gains tax will be incurred on the sale, how quickly you should invest the money to pay less tax, and more.

Parvati’s decision to abandon the city and return to Ratnagiri village was not an easy one and she was helped by the other two protagonists of the film. It’s a small life lesson, but one that has implications for your money. If you live your life decently, you will have friends who can help you start over when times get tough.

Which is better, a life of integrity or a life of hedonism?

Prabha and Anu are roommates. Their cluttered apartment adds to the claustrophobia of their environment. Prabha (Kaniku Sruti) gets married, but her husband goes to Germany immediately after the wedding to live an upright life and wait for news about him. She even avoided the attention of doctors at the hospital where she worked. Her roommate and fellow nurse Anu (Divya Prabha) is happily dating a Muslim man because she knows her Indian family won’t approve.

Both women live painfully ordinary lives with hope. However, their humanity is so fragile that you can’t help but bless them. When Prabha discovers that the man she rescued turns out to be her husband, her illusions about her righteous life—she denies the simple pleasures of being with the opposite sex and almost everything else—are false. We admire her spirit as she lets him go. Prabha also judges Anu’s carefree lifestyle. When she invites Anu’s boyfriend Shaz to share the bench, the three rediscover how the city lights call to them again.

The investor is either Prabha or Anu. One is a conservative and the other is a bold adventurer. Conservative investors choose to put their heads down and use SIPs, or are happy to trust traditional savings methods such as fixed deposits. There is nothing wrong with earning interest on a savings account. Anu is the kind of person who is willing to take risks and invest in the stock market. The returns there are better than in passive savings accounts, and so is the risk. There are pros and cons to both lifestyles, but if you want to take the best lesson from the movie: being rigid about your investing style will make you suffer like Prabhas – who was so focused on integrity that she forgot about life. Anu’s carefree life is full of risks, but at least she hasn’t forgotten how to smile. Amu’s association with a man of other religions was risky, but she was happy with him. Investors need to find the balance between Prabha and Anu and make more money!

After watching the coming crop of pointlessly violent films (however stylized) – Pushpa 2, Marco and others – these characters approach life differently, tenderly and almost mundanely , which is a welcome change. Eating popcorn to watch the depiction of the unseen common people is a challenge, but then you get extra coffee to compete with the dark side of the film’s fourth character…

Manisha Lakhe is a poet, film critic, traveler, founder of Caferati, an online writers’ forum, hosts Mumbai’s oldest open mic and teaches advertising, film and communications. You can contact her on Twitter: @manishalakhe.