Sabar Bonda

"Self-taught filmmaker Rohan Parashuram Kanawade's debut feature, and the first Marathi film chosen to screen at the Sundance Film Festival, is warm and piercing."

"Graceful, empathetic, and profoundly moving, Sabar Bonda is not just a film to be watched, it is one to be felt. Rohan Parashuram Kanawade's Sabar Bonda is a rare, luminous gem of Indian cinema, a film that whispers its truths with such sensitivity that they land all the more powerfully."

"There are few gentler films you’ll find this year than Rohan Kanawade’s “Cactus Pears.” A touching queer romance whose subtle rhythms pull us into its tender embrace."

"Tender moments and love written all over Rohan Kanawade's debut."

"A deeply moving study of gay love in rural India, exploring the complexity of identity within conservative social and religious frameworks."

"'Sabar Bonda' delicately explores queer love through Anand and Balya's slow, intimate journey. The film highlights lyrical storytelling, nuanced performances, and tender depiction of rural LGBTQ+ life."

"Sabar Bonda marks a turning point for Marathi cinema, stretching the language of the industry beyond its usual social dramas and making space for tender, queer love and interiority without resorting to either tragedy or tokenism. Kanawade's debut is a poignant, soul-stirring portrait of gentle men who defy manhood as defined by Indian society, and it more than earns its place as the first Marathi film to win big at Sundance."

"These moments are exhilarating, though by their very nature, they’re few and far between. Before long, the question of what comes next — and whether Anand and Balya have a future — rears its ugly head."

"Rohan Kanawade’s pitch-perfect Sundance winner humanises the constraints of queer love."

"First-time filmmaker Rohan Parashuram Kanawade's story about two unmarried Indian men is a poetic offering."

"In less assured hands, Cactus Pears might have edged into trite territory, yielding to the familiar beats of trauma-laden queer love stories, but Kanawade's considered direction and spare storytelling keep the narrative refreshing. The beauty of Cactus Pears depends on these details, seemingly minor moments that build a compassionate love story."