Dark clouds gather over Anand’s world as his mother and he sit with the silence of loss. Their return to the village stirs memories, absences and unspoken bonds. Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) , a 1 hour, 52 minute-long journey unfolds in this quiet space, where grief lingers not only as sorrow but as something that reshapes how we remember and love. Even as pain hangs heavy, love begins to seep through the cracks: quietly, universally.
Since its release, Rohan Kanawade’s film, which was screened in Bengaluru this week and was the first Indian fiction feature to win the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival, has met with a heartwarming response, praised for going beyond representation and finding resonance in the shared language of grief and connection. Kanawade insists Sabar Bonda is not autobiographical, though he acknowledges his experiences have been distilled into cinema with tenderness. Excerpts.
Sabar Bonda explores themes of grief, love and societal expectations. Why bring these elements in a rural setting?
I was grieving my father in the village and during that period, there was immense pressure around marriage. I found myself wanting to escape from it all. I imagined what if I had a friend whom I could sneak away with, just to breathe freely. That thought sparked the story. Initially, it was a simple idea: a love story blossoming during mourning. As I developed it, other elements weaved themselves in. In fact, I only recognised them much later. That’s when I saw the layers: the rural backdrop of Maharashtra, the culture of mourning and the exploration of sexuality in a village context. The only deliberate choice I made was to tell a grounded love story.
The film portrays traditional mourning rituals in Maharashtra, while also tracing central character Anand (Bhushaan Manoj) and his childhood friend Balya’s (Suraaj Suman) evolving bond. How did you balance cultural authenticity with emotional depth on screen?
Because I had personally performed these rituals, I knew what happens during a mourning period in the village. Since the character is there to grieve his father, both elements, the cultural rituals and the love story naturally had to coexist. I also have spent a lot of time in villages since childhood, especially during summer and observed how people interact and hold on to their traditions which helped me with authenticity.
How did the choice to use silence and natural soundscapes shape the film’s atmosphere?
I was trying to create a portrait of that time while also reimagining it. For me, it had been a claustrophobic experience but I didn’t want the central character to carry that weight. Instead, I wanted his journey to feel tender. That is when I realised that using the natural sounds of the village would add softness to the film. I remembered sitting on the veranda, surrounded by a silence that was not empty but alive with voices, birds, and distant echoes from across the village. Those details stayed with me.
Sabar Bonda became the first Marathi film to premiere at Sundance Film Festival and went on to win the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize. What does this mean to you? How has Rana Daggubati’s involvement helped amplify visibility?
I’m happy we could make India proud on a global platform. In India, Rana Daggubati has come on board to distribute the film. When he first saw the film, he did not know me at all, but he connected with it immediately. That made me realise that this story needed to reach audiences.
This award helped cement the journey all the way to theatres, which is difficult today, especially for independent films. I hope this recognition inspires producers to support independent work, because filmmakers often face doubt and discouragement.
You’ve mentioned in interviews that parts of the film were autobiographical. How did personal experience shape the narrative?
It is not an autobiographical story. Someone wrote in an article that it is, but that is not accurate. I always said it was inspired by my experiences but it is not a direct retelling of my life.
When adapting personal experiences for a film, you still need to change things for the story. For instance, the character Balya and his complexities or Anand having an elder brother who died young, are not from my personal life.
My mother is illiterate, and my father could not finish school and worked as a driver. When I came out to them, they accepted me without any problems. That part reflects my real life. The rest is inspired by my experiences, around which I crafted new scenes.
What message do you hope audiences take away from the representation of Queer relationships?
The film doesn’t focus on acceptance. Most films centre on identity or struggle, but I didn’t want to do that. Queer people, like anyone else, have everyday lives; that is what makes them human. I wanted the characters not to be defined by their sexuality. I wanted to show love as love without sensationalising it.
Do you see yourself continuing with similar themes or are you exploring new directions?
I enjoy exploring different genres and styles, whether it’s horror or something adventurous. Sometimes it’s the technical possibilities that excite me. For instance, I love working with IMAX cameras and hope to find projects that allow me to push those boundaries. Each project is an opportunity to explore something new and that keeps filmmaking exciting.