Entertainment

Uttarakhand Film ‘Pyre’ Wins 18 Awards After Two‑Year Release Struggle

By Today News Hours Editorial Desk

A 111‑minute film about an elderly couple’s quiet love and loneliness in Uttarakhand’s remote mountains finally reached cinemas after a two‑year delay and has since won 18 awards. Directed by television journalist‑turned‑filmmaker Vinod Kapri, the film also addresses outmigration, ghost villages and climate change in the Himalayan region. Social media posts show audiences leaving theatres tearful, and critics praise the ordinary villagers who play the lead roles. The protagonists, Padam Singh (played by Kapri’s uncle) and Tulsi (played by Heera Devi), are a long‑married couple living without roads or electricity, waiting for their son Hariya who works in Mumbai. When a letter arrives, the couple’s hope is renewed, but the village’s dwindling population leaves them isolated. Kapri, who conceived the story in 2018 after meeting an 84‑year‑old man in Munsiyari, initially tried to cast the real couple but later cast actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak before ultimately choosing family members and local villagers. The film premiered at major festivals in 2024, earning three best‑feature awards and 12 audience‑choice prizes. Despite its success, it spent two years without a distributor; it was finally released in 70 screens on 30 October after a producer friend funded the theatrical launch. The modest release sparked word‑of‑mouth praise and increased screenings. Padam Singh and Heera Devi now enjoy positive reviews and audience affection, with Padam expressing gratitude for meeting Shah, who said the role was beyond his ability. The film’s message urges younger generations to stay in their homeland and calls for government action to provide education and employment in rural areas to prevent abandonment of the elderly.