Pyre (Vinod Kapri) India |

Pyre
Vinod Kapri
India. 2024. 110 min

A melancholic ballad of an undying love in a dying land.

In the Himalayan Mountain range, a rural village loses its inhabitants to the city’s allure while an elderly couple, Padam Singh and Tulsi, live in desolate isolation. Their days are filled with routine and occasional humour as they mask their loneliness. Their son’s absence gnaws at them, and when a letter arrives promising his return, it reignites their hearts with joy and anticipation. However, the reunion does not unfold as expected, shattering their hopes. As the film climaxes, the spectator is confronted with a more rueful plight, deeply engaging the audience’s empathy.

This film powerfully explores the pain of abandonment, the endurance of hope, and the heartache of unfulfilled promises. The film’s haunting and deeply emotional nature, in line with the director’s auteurist style, will captivate you and keep you emotionally invested until the end.

VINOD KAPRI

Vinod Kapri (born 15 August 1972) is an author, former TV Journalist and award-winning filmmaker. He won the prestigious national award for the film “Can’t Take This Shit Anymore in 2014. He made his feature debut with “Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho” (2015) – a socio-legal satire that received extensive critical acclaim. His second feature film “Pihu”, released globally in 2018 has been widely appreciated in prestigious international film festivals. His powerful documentary film “1232 kms” (2021) about the heartbreaking journey of migrant workers during the first covid lockdown earned tremendous critical acclaim and won a national award. Pyre, is his latest film had its world premier at the 28th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in the Official Competition section where it was the only film in competition category and won the best film PÖFF Audience Award. Pyre is also the opening film at 16th Bengaluru International Film Festival, marking its Indian premier.