Tarit Sarkar

Pyre (2024) isn’t your average drama flick—it plunges straight into the raw messiness of loss and tradition colliding in modern India. The story kicks off in a dusty rural village, where a young couple, Rani and Arjun, find themselves up against the grinding gears of caste and family expectations after a tragedy shakes their world. Rani, who’s got more grit in her pinky than most people have in their whole bodies, is forced to navigate a system that’s been rigged against her from day one. Arjun, meanwhile, tries to hold on to his ideals, but that’s easier said than done when everyone around him seems determined to keep things exactly as they’ve always been. The film’s got this bone-deep tension running through it—every conversation is loaded, every sideways glance means something. There’s a funeral pyre at the center of it all, but honestly, the real fire’s inside these characters, burning up the lies, secrets, and prejudices that have been passed along for generations. It’s not just about grief—though there’s plenty of that—but about rebellion, hope, and what it means to carve out your own future when the whole world tells you you can’t. Tarit Sarkar’s direction doesn’t flinch away from the ugly parts, but there’s beauty there too, in the way people keep reaching for each other, even when it’s hard. The movie doesn’t tie things up in a neat little bow, but maybe that’s the point. Life’s messy, and Pyre leans right into it.