When his father dies, Anand leaves Mumbai to return to his rural home village for the traditional mourning period. His parents always accepted his sexuality, but his wider family doesn’t know, and before long, the gentle but persistent pressure to marry begins to mount. His one source of comfort is Balya, a childhood friend who understands his struggles better than anyone. As the mourning period unfolds, their reconnection quietly deepens into something tender and intimate. Rohan Parashuram Kanawade’s semi-autobiographical debut is a poetic and deeply felt portrait of grief, love, and what it means to be queer in rural India. Winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival 2025. 

Reviews

‘The film’s honesty, whether loquacious or laconic, sears even more in the absence of a score. Its observational ethos is remarkable given that it is quasi-autobiographical.’
★★★★
Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire

‘Although there’s a diffident dreaminess and languid pacing to Cactus Pears, its gentle empathy and richly drawn sense of place could attract specialist attention.’
Wendy Ide, Screen International