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In “Shadowbox”, directors Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi craft an unflinching portrait of resilience, societal burden, and the invisible weight of human endurance. Set in contemporary Kolkata, the film follows Maya (Tillotama Shome) navigating the relentless demands of survival. Her existence is shaped by the economic and emotional toll of an unspoken war waged within her home. Her husband, Sundar (Chandan Bisht), a former army officer, battles Ptsd and alcoholism, retreating into silence and self-destruction. While their teenage son, Debu (Sayan Karmakar), wrestles with a world that has already abandoned him before he has had the chance to define himself.

The film premiered at this year’s Berlinale under the ‘Perspectives’ section. For international audiences, “Shadowbox” might first appear to be a story about the socio-political landscape of India. A social drama about gender, class, migration, and mental health. While it is all those things, it refuses to be reduced to them.

Baksho Bondi, the debut feature from co-directors Saumyananda Sahi and Tanushree Das, is more than a mere narrative—it is a stark, socially conscious lament for a figure deeply embedded in the fabric of Indian life: the self-effacing mother and wife. She toils day and night, surrendering every dream and personal aspiration to uphold the well-being of her family, her existence shaped by relentless sacrifice. The film dissects with precision the oppressive family structure, portraying it as an insidious trap that tightens around its protagonist, gradually constricting her life. Her sacrifices, silent complicity, and the slow erosion of her desires are rendered with an unrelenting somberness, yet one suffused with a deeply felt sadness. Years of unacknowledged labour pass in a state of dreary, workaholic misery, her pain almost invisible within the rhythms of daily life. But Sahi and Das do not merely present suffering—they craft a sensitive tale,...

‘Husbands are best when they are dead’ is an idea thrown by one of secondary characters in “Shadowboxing”. Although floated more as a joke, it might be a thought sporadically passing through Maya’s (Tiloatam Shome) head. She has a teenager to raise and an emerging dry-cleaning business to run. On top of that, there is Sundar (Chandan Bisht), her unemployed husband, who requires constant babysitting. The protagonist sends him on job interviews to no avail. He seems more bent on cultivating his passion project. He supplies local universities with frogs which he catches with bare hands, causing a stir among the neighbors on a couple of occasions.

Shadowbox is sceening at Berlin International Film Festival

There is something off about Sundar, and it might have to do with his past experiences in the military. The man carries some trauma, due to which he is constantly on the verge. On the verge of violence,...

Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi’s “Shadowbox” struggles to overcome its plain aesthetic. The tale of a family of three strained by a father’s odd behavior — owing to what appears to be Ptsd — the neorealist Bengali- and Hindi-language drama hints at numerous ideas in the realm of gender, administrative power and the woes of the Indian working class. These themes end up distinctly malformed, but the film is not without its strengths. Its central drama is usually interesting enough, thanks to the impeccable depth of its performances.

Tillotama Shome — known to Western audiences from “Monsoon Wedding” and the French-Indian drama “Sir” — is a sure bet to lead any work in the visual medium, owing to how effortlessly she creates entire worlds through silent struggle. She plays the overqualified housemaid Maya, an educated woman doing her best to make ends meet by serving tea and performing other household odd jobs...

Once in a blue moon, the central performance in a film is so powerful it overshadows the overall excellence of the work. It happened with Mahesh Bhatt’s Arth, where Shabana Azmi towered over what was an intrinsically laudable film.

In debutant co-directors Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi’s Shadowbox (Baksho Bondi in Bengali), the immeasurably accomplished Tillotama Shome sets the screen ablaze with her intense portrayal of Maya , a woman on the brink of a complete breakdown, coping, enduring surviving as she has no other option. Set in what looks like a small town in West Bengal, Maya’s fight for survival is never seen as a trigger for drama. There is a kind of acceptance of circumstances which a multitude of working women from the grassroots would recognize.

Whether ironing clothes and delivering them on her bicycle to her customers or trying to give her mentally challenged husband...

A retired soldier’s descent into crisis and its rippling effect through a working-class Bengali family forms the emotional core of “Shadowbox” (“Baksho Bondi”), set to world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival’s Perspectives strand.

The Bengali-language feature marks the directorial debut of cinematographer Saumyananda Sahi (Oscar nominated “All That Breathes”) and editor Tanushree Das (“Eeb Allay Ooo!”). The filmmakers have unveiled a clip exclusively for Variety.

The film stars acclaimed actor Tillotama Shome as Maya, a woman working multiple jobs – from house cleaning to chicken farming to laundry pressing – while caring for her Ptsd-affected husband Sundar (Chandan Bisht) and their teenage son Debu (newcomer Sayan Karmakar). When Sundar becomes implicated in a murder investigation, Maya must navigate both societal prejudices and her own complicated past decisions.

“The genesis came from two distinct places,” Sahi told Variety. “Tanushree had this dream image of her mother collecting clothes before the rain,...

Fire In The Mountains Kino Lorber Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net, linked from Rotten Tomatoes by Harvey Karten Director: Ajitpal Singh Screenwriter: Ajitpal Singh Cast: Vinamrata Rai, Chandan Bisht, Harshita Tiwari, Mayank Singh Jaira, Sonal Jha Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 5/3/22 Opens: May 20, 2022 at New York’s Film Forum. July 19, 2022 streaming. […]

The post Fire In The Mountains Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

"An entrancing reverie of Himalayan life in India." Kino Lorber has revealed an official US trailer for an acclaimed Indian drama titled Fire in the Mountains, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Ajitpal Singh. This first premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival last year, and played at a few other fests including Opening Night at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. Chandra and her husband run the Swizerland Homestay, an inn that hovers high above the only road in a small Himalayan village. The terrain poses a problem for the family, who must transport their son Prakash down the mountain in his wheelchair. She tries to save money to build a road in her village to take her son around but unfortunately her husband, who believes that a shamanic ritual 'Jaagar' is the remedy, steals her savings. Starring Vinamrata Rai, Chandan Bisht, Harshita Tiwari, Mayank Singh Jaira, and Sonal Jha.

In his debut feature, “Fire in the Mountains”, self-taught directorial Ajitpal Singh, quite contrary to the title, unhurriedly paints an intimate portrayal of a troubled family. Though peaceful pace doesn’t mean lack of substance. And the tensions at the fundamentals of characters’ conflicts are sparks only waiting to burst into flames.

“Fire in the Mountains“ is screening at Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles

The story is set in a Northern Indian village in Uttarakhand, with a scenic mountain backdrop of Himalayan landscapes. Cinematographer (Frenchman Dominique Colin) films them in their whole profound and breathtaking beauty. It may seem that local people are living in a dream. But their reality is far from idyllic. Chandra (Vinamrata Rai) runs a homestay Swizerland. It offers guests great views and, as being located far from a road, also silence, a treat much-needed by those looking for a weekend getaway. But the pros are also the cons,...

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) announced today its full lineup of narrative and documentary features, and shorts for the festival’s 19th edition, which will be held virtually and geo-blocked to California, on May 20-27.

“This is a very special year for Iffla. Taking the festival online has given us the freedom to curate programs we would not have been able to present in a physical setting. We have expanded our reach to all California residents, doubled the shorts program with a strong representation of films from the diaspora, added special programs like “Childhood on Edge”, and curated discussions on timely and pressing topics, celebrating the independent film community from India and the Indian diaspora,” said Christina Marouda, Executive Director.

Iffla will open with the Los Angeles premiere of the powerful female-centric film, Fire in the Mountains, the 2021 Sundance-selected debut feature by Ajitpal Singh that immerses audiences...

A poignant blend of science and culture, Ajitpal Singh’s feature debut Fire in the Mountains was inspired by the director’s own experiences with religiously-influenced loss, conceived in the aftermath of his close cousin’s death. An enigmatic and intoxicating experience, Singh weaves a subtly complex narrative through a family’s multicultural conflict between healing through science versus religious faith.

Residing at the top of a Himalayan mountain in the Northern Indian village of Uttarakhand, Chandra (Vinamrata Rai), the mother of a wheelchair-using boy, attempts to save enough money to properly treat and take care of her son. When the only medical provider in the small village fails to find a diagnosis, she moves on with the goal of building a road to take her son Prakash (Mayank Singh) to physiotherapy. However, Chandra’s husband, Dharam (Chandan Bisht)––a fervent believer in traditional religion––disagrees heavily with Chandra’s science-based methods.

“Fire in the Mountains” opens with a perfect introduction, the kind that propels audiences into curiosity about a character they’ve only just met. We are on a country road with a breathtaking Himalayan backdrop, witnessing an urban family vacationing in the region negotiate with a sly, salesman-y guide. He insists that the family choose the homestay he represents, gradually lowering his price, but not quite to their satisfaction. Then Chandra (Vinamrata Rai) interrupts the conversation with her serene, non-pushy authority. She will gladly accept less money. Her homestay comes with a view and modern toilets. It’s also away from the bustling noisy roads, though not all that far on foot. After her skillful negotiation, we watch the petite, soft-spoken but no-nonsense woman carry the family’s heavy suitcase up a mountain trail without breaking a sweat.

This quietly memorable, feminist opening sequence exhibits debuting writer-director Ajitpal Singh’s...