Cactus Pears
Description
When his father dies, Anand returns from Mumbai to his rugged western Indian hometown to mourn. Surrounded by demanding relatives and frustrated by stifling rituals, Anand finds respite from the claustrophobia when he reconnects with childhood friend Balya. In a conservative society that struggles to accept these men’s authentic selves, their feelings deepen, with the pair forming a tender relationship that blossoms like vivid cactus pears in the dusty desert. Writer/director Rohan Parashuram Kanawade makes an auspicious feature debut with this erotic drama, deftly situating this tale of queer love—stories so often told within the boundaries of higher caste and class—in everyday rural India and lower middle-class Mumbai. —Bedatri Choudhury
Rohan Parashuram Kanawade was raised in Mumbai and worked in interior design before turning to filmmaking. Self-taught, he began by making shorts, including Sundar (2016), winner of Best Indian Narrative Short at the KASHISH Pride Film Festival; Khidee (2017); and U for usha (2019), which won awards at the Calcutta International Cult Film Festival and Virgin Spring Cinefest. Cactus Pears, winner of the Sundance Film Festival World Cinema – Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, is his first feature.
Film Details
LanguageMarathi
Original Language TitleSabar Bonda
Year2025
Runtime112
CountryIndia, UK, Canada
DirectorRohan Parashuram Kanawade
ProducerNeeraj Churi, Mohamed Khaki, Kaushik Ray, Naren Chandavarkar, Sidharth Meer, Hareesh Reddypalli, Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, Jim Sarbh, Rajesh Parwatkar, Deepthi Pendurty, Parag Pradhan
Executive ProducerIlann Girard
WriterRohan Parashuram Kanawade
EditorAnadi Athaley
CinematographerVikas Urs
CastBhushaan Manoj, Suraaj Suman, Jayshri Jagtap
Closed CaptionsClosed Captions are confirmed for this film
Audio DescriptionAudio Descriptions are not currently confirmed for this film
American Sign Language (ASL) InterpretationAmerican Sign Language Interpretation is not currently scheduled for this film
