New Delhi, Nov 18: Padam Singh and Heera Devi, two octogenarians from an Uttarakhand village and now the unlikely stars of director Vinod Kapri’s “Pyre”, are embarking on a new adventure in life.
Singh and Devi are currently en route to the Estonian capital Tallin for the world premiere of the film on Tuesday at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2024. It is their first ride in a plane as well as their first foreign trip, according to Kapri.
“Pyre”, billed as a melancholic ballad of an undying love in a dying land, has been chosen in the Official Selection – Competition section at the 28th edition of the movie gala. The Hindi-language film is set in the Himalayan Mountain range and features Padam Singh and Tulsi as an elderly couple who live in isolation in a mountain village whose residents have moved away to big cities in search of livelihood.
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For “Pyre”, Kapri cast two local residents: Singh, a retired Indian Army soldier, and Devi, a farmer, neither of whom had ever acted in a film before. Both hail from Berinag Tehsil in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district.
The filmmaker, who accompanied Singh and Devi to Tallinn for the film festival, shared a post on his official X page on Monday.
“#AamaBubu of #Uttarakhand. Off to #Tallinn @TallinnBNFF Their first flight Journey, First foreign trip. World premiere of @PyreFilm!” he wrote on the microblogging site.
Kapri shared a video of Singh and Devi being escorted into the airport on wheelchairs. He also posted a picture of the duo smiling for the camera as they sat in the plane.
“Pyre” is the only Indian entry in the Official Competition category of the prestigious film gala, held annually in Estonia’s capital, Tallinn.
“In the Himalayan Mountain range, a rural village loses its inhabitants to the city’s allure while an elderly couple, Padam Singh and Tulsi, live in desolate isolation. Their days are filled with routine and occasional humour as they mask their loneliness.
“Their son’s absence gnaws at them, and when a letter arrives promising his return, it reignites their hearts with joy and anticipation. However, the reunion does not unfold as expected, shattering their hopes. As the film climaxes, the spectator is confronted with a more rueful plight, deeply engaging the audience’s empathy,” read the film’s official synopsis.
The film is inspired by a true story of an elderly couple Kapri met in 2017 in Munsyari, a village affected by migration in Uttarakhand. The couple’s bond left a deep impact on him, prompting him to make “Pyre”.
Kapri and his wife, Sakshi Joshi, have produced the movie independently through Bhagirathi Films. Legendary lyricist Gulzar has penned a song for the film.
The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, which started on November 8, will come to a close on November 24. (PTI)
