Following his father’s death, Anand, a thirty-year-old city dweller, returns to his native village in Maharashtra to spend a ten-day mourning period. Surrounded by insistent relatives, he is forced to face questions about his marital status. There, he reconnects with Bayla, a childhood friend who now lives as a farmer. Set against a rural backdrop where traditions and social pressures prevail, a tender and intimate bond develops between them, forcing Anand to chose between his family’s expectation and his heart’s desires.
With this deeply moving debut feature film, Rohan Parashuram Kanawade embraces the rhythm of mourning through stunning cinematography and a queer romance that takes some delightful detours.
“Rohan Parashuram Kanawade’s feature debut, premiering at Sundance, takes a poignant approach to unspoken sorrows.”
Siddhant Adlakha Variety 27/01/2025
World Cinema Grand Jury Prize, Sundance Film Festival, 2025, us
Best Feature Film, SXSW London Film Festival, 2025, gb
Best Narrative Feature, Nashville Film Festival, 2025, us
Best Feature Film, Guadalajara International Film Festival, 2025, mx
Special Jury Award, San Francisco International Film Festival, 2025, us
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, Inside Out Film and Video Festival, 2025, ca
Grand Prize, Tokyo FILMeX, 2025, jp
Audience Choice Award for Best Feature, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, 2025, us
Rohan Parashuram Kanawade
Rohan Parashuram Kanawade is an Indian filmmaker from Mumbai. Self-taught, he started directing short films before moving on to develop Cactus Pears (Sabar Bonda), his first feature film. Inspired by his personal experiences, it sensitively explores themes of grief, identity and love in social environments that are often underrepresented. His film won the Grand Jury Prize – World Cinema : Dramatic at Sundance Film Festival 2025, setting a milestone for marathi cinema on the international stage.
