In his ambitious second feature, Sidharth Srinivasan provides the viewer with an exciting, dramatic story that also makes it possible for him to comment on social abuses in India. The story starts with Bhanu, the guard of a deserted quartz mine. He submissively tolerates the grumpiness of his boss, who even appropriates Bhanu’s wife at regular intervals. Their lives take a dramatic turn when two young lovers look for a hiding place in the mine. One of them turns out to be the daughter of Bhanu’s boss, who is escaping from an arranged marriage. Srinivasan sharply reveals how different social classes are related and how tragic forced marriages can turn out. This timeless story, rooted in the age old Indian caste system, has been filmed in a modern way, in a direct, frank style that looks more western than Indian.
