Pyre

I liked Pyre very much. His actors, clearly non-professionals, look natural, not Bollywood actors parachuted to the hills: the camera doesn't appear to be an intrusion. But that doesn't take away from the film's primary strength, which becomes a moving statement about ageing, loneliness, resilience, and the power of hope.

Pyre is a tender film about ageing, abandonment and the harsh realities of life in remote villages. Its strongest moments belong to its lead actors, whose natural chemistry makes the couple's relationship feel deeply personal. That they are not actors and are making their debut at such an advanced age makes their performances all the more remarkable.

While director Vinod Kapri evocatively captures the painful desolation of Uttarakhand's ghost villages through raw, life-like performances, its cinematic grammar occasionally feels deliberately engineered for a global festival gaze. Though the narrative rhythm benefits from German editor Patricia Rommel and Oscar-winning composer Mychael Danna, their involvement at times suggests a film consciously tailored to navigate the international festival circuit.