Pyre: Vinod Kapri's Film of Love in the Hills
Pyre follows an elderly couple in a Kumaon village. Its trailer is out, it has won 18 festival awards, and it opens Oct. 30 in Hindi and Malayalam.
Among this month's trailers, Pyre is the quiet one. Vinod Kapri's film, about an elderly couple in a Kumaon village, released its trailer on Oct. 12 and reaches cinemas on Oct. 30 in Hindi and Malayalam, according to India Today.
The story
Set in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, the film follows Padam Singh and Tulsi, known as Aama and Bubu, who live in a remote mountain village that is slowly losing its residents. Their days are shaped by chores, familiar arguments and the companionship built over years. They are waiting for their son, Hariya, who has been away for 28 years. His absence anchors a story about how migration for work affects the families left behind.
The trailer moves between humour and harder conversations about ageing, ill health and uncertainty, against the backdrop of the mountains.
The cast
India Today reports that the film features Padam Singh Kapri, 80, and Heera Devi, 70, both residents of Uttarakhand who had never appeared in front of a camera before. Kapri, a retired Army serviceman, plays a character who shares his name, while Heera Devi plays Tulsi.
The festival run
Written and directed by Vinod Kapri, Pyre has travelled to international film festivals and received 18 awards, including 15 Best Film honours, as well as recognition for direction, music, cinematography and sound, per India Today. It is produced by Vinod Kapri, Suresh Joshi and Arindra Rai Chaudhuri under Bhagirathi Films and Mashakbeen Studios.
Screenings in the hills
The makers planned special screenings in Berinag, Bageshwar and Srinagar Garhwal from Oct. 14 to 17 through Picture Time, a mobile theatre initiative that brings cinema to areas without permanent theatres. Kapri said he was looking forward to audiences experiencing the story and the Himalayan landscape on the big screen.
Why it is worth a look
Independent films with non-professional casts rarely get a wide Hindi release. The coming weeks are light for big Hindi titles, with Ramayana expected on Nov. 5 according to India Today, and Film Information reports that this week's new Hindi releases opened to dull houses. That leaves room for a small film that has already won festival attention, though a limited release has to find its audience through word of mouth.
The theme
The story is rooted in a real trend. Villages in the hills that lose their younger residents to cities and distant jobs leave older people behind, which is the situation the trailer sets up through Hariya's 28-year absence. India Today describes the film as exploring love, loneliness and ageing, and notes that the trailer balances everyday arguments with more difficult conversations. That mix of humour and sorrow is likely to be its main selling point to audiences who found the usual festival-circuit drama too distant.
A fan's checklist
If you plan to watch it, note that the film is in Hindi and Malayalam versions, runs in the mountains of Uttarakhand, and is built around two first-time actors. India Today does not report a runtime or a certificate, so check listings before you go.
What we could not confirm
We could not confirm the runtime, certificate or the number of screens. We could not verify the festival awards independently, since the count of 18 and 15 Best Film honours comes from India Today's account of the makers' information. We have not seen the film or the trailer.
Sources
*Cover photo: Bue.rahuljaiswal, Wikimedia Commons, *[*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vinod_Kapri.jpg*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vinod_Kapri.jpg)* (CC BY-SA 4.0).*