CACTUS PEARS (Sabar Bonda), written and directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, is gorgeously shot in picturesque vignettes in open landscapes and small villages, with a poetic and open-hearted narrative that skews predictable tropes.
Kanawade’s debut feature follows two men navigating societal pressures in a rural community in Western India (Maharashtra). The story centers on Anand, a 30-something gay city dweller forced to spend a 10-day mourning period for his father in his ancestral home in India’s countryside, where he bonds with Balya, a local farmer struggling to remain unmarried. As the mourning period ends and Anand must return to the city, he faces a crucial decision about their relationship.
A sensitive study of bereavement, along with a powerful exploration of a mother-son bond, CACTUS PEARS is a tender, intimate, and sensual portrait of being queer in a rural, lower-class Indian community. The emotionally resonant drama has connected with audiences across borders. It premiered and triumphed at the Sundance Film Festival as the first Indian and Marathi language film to win in the world cinema competition.
“…exhilarating moments, sudden and inevitable.” – Siddhant Adlakha, Variety
“…shot decisively with unapologetic realism or transportive reverie.” – Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire
