One day, Dev finds an apple tree in his orchard burnt to a cinder; soon after, more and more trees are surreptitiously burnt, and finally much of a hillside, as well as trees circling their house, are up in flames. Are some people trying to tell him something? Dev now suspects everybody—the workers and even the estate manager, Mohan (Deepak Dobriyal), who has loyally served their family for years. 

“Outsiders,”—wandering meditative nomads on horseback—are immediately held suspect. There’s also a corrupt patwari (Sheriff) and shadier police, who smell opportunity. The layered screenplay, by Reddy, shows that a high price will be paid; but the crisis reveals who Dev’s family really are, to themselves and to the world. Despite being a fable that is dark at times, Reddy shapes a climax that also gives hope. 

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Manoj Bajpayee is superb as Dev. He gets the body language, dialogue and all else down pat. Priyanka Bose is a good counterpoint. The gifted Dobriyal is wonderful to watch, in a meaty role after ages. The film is tonally different at times. But Reddy also smartly subverts many clichés: a youngish director shooting a feature film on 16mm celluloid; redefining who “outsiders” can be; and again, when Vanya leads the good looking, mysterious ‘outsider’ to the stables for a roll in the hay, their ‘union’ goes beyond sexual desire, seeking a higher connection. Sunil Borkar’s cinematography is remarkable, and it is inspiring that the younger generation is considering shooting on a challenging medium as 16mm celluloid film. Varun Grover’s dialogues are effective, as is Nithin Lukose’s sound design. Women talent includes producer Sunmin Park, Associate Producer and Production Designer Juhi Agarwal and Casting Director Tess Joseph.

Meenakshi Shedde is India and South Asia Delegate to the Berlin International Film Festival, National Award-winning critic, curator to festivals worldwide and journalist. 
Reach her at meenakshi.shedde@mid-day.com