Pine Cone

I watched the Pinecone premiere during the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne in August 2023. The film included some beautiful photography and its three arcs were all visually and thematically distinct, which was impressive and essential for the telling of this story.

The story felt instantly familiar and relatable yet it managed to surprise and delight at times. There is an underlying sense of sadness in the overall narrative presented but fortunately this is balanced out with a message of hope which is immensely important for the target audience, especially those in a more vulnerable state of mind.

Congratulations to director Onir and team for another stellar feature.

A film that sheds light on the evolving landscape of queer rights in India... This poignant narrative captures the essence of first love, the harsh realities of cynicism, and the relentless fight for equality --- highlights the broader struggle for LGBTQ+ rights in India!!

Watching Sid Mehra's journey unfold on screen, I was reminded of my own first love-the excitement, the vulnerability, and the profound impact it had on my life. Sid's transformation from a proud, hopeful filmmaker to a cynical yet resilient advocate for queer rights resonated with my experiences of navigating the complexities of love and identity.

This film is more than just a love story; it is a call to action, a testament to resilience, and a vital contribution to the ongoing quest for equal rights and acceptance for queer folks in India.

Onir's Anirban Dhar latest film doing the rounds in film festivals and special screenings, was screened for an invited audience this evening at The American Centre in the city. Personally, I like his films not because he'd been a junior and a friend at the University or his sister Irene Irene Dhar Malik I knew before I knew him. I like them because of their honesty and simplicity.

Though Onir describes the film as a 'queer' love story told rather autobiographically, I related to it mostly as a tale of 'heartbreaks and hope' that, I'm sure, will touch any viewer irrespective of their sexual orientations. We have all been through most of them whatever the orientation.

References to 'My Beautiful Launderette' by Hanif Qureshi and relevant dialogues would possibly stir all the emotions that we all have. Be it humour, pain, anger, sorrow ... whatever. In other words, it's a story well-told. If you like to listen to stories, rather watch them, you'd love and live every moment of it. And boy o boy, he really knows how to tell stories on screen. For me, I failed to hide a tear towards the end.

Things have changed since his first film 'My Brother ... Nikhil' released nineteen years ago and Onir too has evolved with the times. The film told in three parts is aptly set in 1999, 2009 and 2019. The years are important as the first year is when the country's first gay pride parade is held in Calcutta, the second, when the Delhi High Court decriminalises homosexuality and the third year, when the Supreme Court decriminalises homosexuality once agin after the verdict of 2009 was overturned in 2012. Also, the characters as Muslim, Hindu and Christian add a separate religious angle to the discourse.

Shot on iPhone with a meagre crew of about fifteen odd people, the film is made with a shoestring budget. Arvind Kannaviran has done a great job with a tad unstable camera movements and long duration shots in places where they make a big difference to the story in contrast to the shorter shots that depict dreams and freedom through shadowgraphy by the characters in one story. Vivek Philips's music is infectious. Irene's edit stitches the emotions with precision so that the 't's are crossed and the 'i's are dotted. What's most interesting about the way the film unfurls is that the audience is kept guessing about how things would conclude till the end.

I sincerely hope that the CBFC would clear the film without any cuts and people would be able to watch it in Cinemas, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Whatever happens, I will wish that 'Into that heaven of freedom' my country will awake. Well, if it doesn't, to echo a dialogue of the young duo in the part of the film set in Gangtok, I'd say ... 'Hum saare duniya ki gaand maar denge!

Excellent character development threads seamlessly in this excellent movie.. Stunning photography and a beautiful story that many gay men can relate. One of the finest films at the October 2023, Outshine Film Festival, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The puzzle of developing a meaningful relationship is studied from the present moment to the past. Every moment in a prior relationship has a profound impact on an individual's make up. Pine Cone explores the development of character by creating a video storytelling platform to discover how and why we behave in the social and technological environment of our complex lives. I highly recommend this move!

I just watched pine cone. And I was amazed that how beautiful film it is. I'm seriously shocked that this kind of deserve more.story and direction are super by onir.it's not only for a pride community, but i would like to suggest everyone that please watch once. I also requesting onir sir to release it on theatre or OTT so maximum people can watch this beautiful masterpiece. Second most beautiful thing of the film is locations and music. I'm damm sure that everyone will enjoy. I would like to say in one word that it's truly love story and full of emotions. Please please please release it on ott or theatre.