This Sundance winner is a gorgeous film, a laconic wander through grief, love and yearning set in rural India. Writer-director Rohan Kanawade takes his time telling the story of taciturn Anand as he returns to his childhood home in Maharashtra to bury his father. Compelled by his mother to remain for the traditional 10 days of mourning, Anand finds himself under siege from familial expectations.
Kanawade likes his long static shots, often holding on the actors' faces or filming a tableau in wide, as if in a proscenium theatre. Anand often seems to be on the naughty step, head bowed, as he faces enquiries about his unmarried state. Although his parents knew he is gay, they never told family and friends. Among the villagers is childhood friend Balya, who slowly draws Anand out, the two of them establishing intimacy and kindling a slow-burning attraction.
The description does not do the film justice, as it unfolds against a backdrop of goat herding, burial rites, and loud arguments. Kanawade also sneaks in moments of bleak humour, despite the serious subject matter. It is an accomplished and assured debut.
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