HOW 'SABAR BONDA' CREATED A RURAL RAOMANCE STORY WITHOUT A SOUNDTRACK

DIRECTOR ROHAN KANAWADE OPENS UP ABOUT THE MAKINGS OF THE MARATHI ROMANCE DRAMA, WHICH IS SET FOR ITS THEATRICAL RELEASE ON SEPT. 19 ONWARDS

- By SHARANYAA NAIR

Rohan Parashuram Kanawade's Sabar Bonda, co-produced with Neeraj Churi, created history, becoming the first Indian film in the fiction feature category to win a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. The Marathi language drama unravels a tender, romantic saga through the eyes of its lead pair, Anand (Bhushan Manoj) and Balya (Suraaj Suman). Distributed by Rana Daggubati's Spirit Media, it is currently on a wider theatrical release across India.

Set against the liminal pastoral plains of rural Maharashtra, this love story interestingly unfolds amidst a ten-day mourning period. The protagonist, Anand, returns to his ancestral village, a place infused with the stillness of time. What follows is a slow yet endearing rekindling between him and his childhood friend, Balya, as they navigate love, loss, and companionship in its tenderest form. It also offers a rare positive lens on queer familial support, a refreshing take that also serves an imminent need of the hour.

From the very beginning, the intent was to color inside the lines. No background soundscape, static camerawork, and a not-so-glamorous location. Yet, the strategy paid off.

Kanawade's tryst with storytelling can be traced back to his parents. His father first introduced him to the magic of cinema, and even as a child, he was always more fascinated by technical aspects like projectors and speakers. Later, a well-written chapter in a school textbook sparked his appetite for writing. But it wouldn't be until years later, while working as an interior designer, that he took his first foray into the world of filmmaking after a colleague prodded him to make a short film.