Of Loss, Longing, and Love. (A Movie Review)

A work of art takes time. In conceptualisation, in creation and execution. A work of art asks for time to indulge in it, notice and admire. When one considers movies too as works of art (when assaulted by ‘Animals’ and ‘Beasts’, one wonders, of course), many of the classics may not have been crowdpleasers or favourites when released. They’ve over time become cult classics. 

Last weekend, I happened to watch, Sabar Bonda, a movie by Rohan Kanade, his first feature length movie. Several friends had messaged me to go watch it because the movie had won some prestigious awards, and because Rohan is known to many of them personally. I too have met him, at a film festival in Bengaluru many years ago, when one of his first movies was being screened. 

A few other friends too joined in and we all set out to watch the movie - a morning show, because the movie had found a limited audience because of the niche audience it might attract. The show was almost full, a surprise. 

The movie begins with the demise of the father of Anand, the protagonist. Anand is reluctant to head to the village where his father’s last rites are to be performed. Only his mother’s admonitions make him reluctantly head there. He has to stay there for a full ten days and complete all the rites before he can head back to the city, Mumbai. Why is he reluctant and what is he that he fears, and what transpires in those ten days while he’s at his native village forms the rest of the story. 

The film is shot at a leisurely, languorous pace.  It’s unhurried, and yet not indulgent. The place, people, their lives, and daily conversations all feel very real. One does not feel that one is watching a movie, but is a spectator in someone’s life as it unfolds over those many days. Everyone in the movie gives their best to the role, and makes the movie worth the watch. 

Anand has already turned 30, and every relative has the same question. “When are you getting married?” He cannot out himself or his sexual orientation to his relatives for the fear of their reaction towards his mother. He can stay away from them forever, but can she, he asks her. His parents have known that he’s gay, and they have largely come to accept him. However, they have unstated worries - will he find someone for himself, after we are gone? 

Balya is a childhood friend of Anand in the village. As they reconnect, old memories come to the fore and sparks rekindle. Is this just a physical desire because they both yearn for a tender touch, or does it have a future beyond the boundaries of class, caste, and educational divide? 

In essence, Sabar Bonda is a love story that unspools in times of melonchoky and loss. I was reminded of the 2015 Kannada movie, Thithi, which was built around a death. While the templates are similar, the narratives and the perspectives are different. While Thithi - with its broader canvas and multiple threads - celebrated life and had an irreverent vibe to it, Sabar Bonda is melancholic; it delves deeper into a person’s psyche and explores deep-seated emotions, and insecurities. 

Rohan Kanwade shows extreme control over his subject and delivers a winsome film; it is a love story that transcends genders and sexual orientation. And, as I said before, the performances add gravitas to the proceedings, and keep you rooted. 

There are very few holes to pick in the entire movie. If any, they possibly can be attributed to the shoestring budget the movie might’ve had - like the sound recording or the background music. I also wonder why the movie has an ‘Adult’ certificate even though it has no nudity (barring one scene, which barely shows any skin, and even without it the movie would still work well) or foul language, or violence. The only grouse I had when I watched was, the protagonists do not seem to kiss convincingly, and their lack of chemistry (or hesitation to perform gender non-conforming scenes) shows.  

My verdict in short for the movie: the awards it’s gathering are well justified. Do not miss; go watch it. This movie is truly a work of art.  A special word of appreciation for those who have backed Rohan in ensuring the movie finds mainstream release too. 

Cactus Pears