Gaurav Madan's 'Barah by Barah' set for May 24 release
What's the story
After a remarkable festival run across the globe, Gaurav Madan's art film Barah by Barah is scheduled to be finally released in theaters on May 24.
The movie takes place in the historically and culturally significant city of Varanasi and provides a unique perspective through the lens of the city's only remaining death photographer.
It first premiered at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) before making its global debut at the Shanghai International Film Festival.
Festival accolades
'Barah by Barah' has earned accolades at various film festivals
Barah by Barah has received numerous awards at different film festivals. It won the Grand Prix for Best Film at FIPRESCI India, Best Director at the Pune International Film Festival, and Best Indian Feature Film at Diorama IFF, per Film Companion.
The ensemble includes talented actors such as Gyanendra Tripathi, Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, Harish Khanna, Bhumika Dube, and Akash Sinha.
Director's Insight
Director Madan shared a personal connection to 'Barah By Barah'
Madan, the writer-director of Barah by Barah, revealed his personal connection to the film's story.
He said, "I hail from a small town called Jagadhri in Haryana. My parents had to let go of our ancestral home because the government decided to widen the adjacent highway."
"This film is a personal story, one I believe will resonate with anyone grappling with change, told through the lens of a novel protagonist."
Madan's thoughts
The official plot and Madan's inspiration
Earlier, Madan told Diorama Film Festival, "I have always wondered about the eternal 'circle of life and death'. But in Banaras, this inevitability is celebrated every day, every hour and every minute! This quality of the place and its dwellers really enticed me to make a film!"
"A photographer who clicks the last photographs' of the dead at Varanasi's Manikarnika ghat goes on a journey through the periphery of the circle of life and death," says IMDb about the plot.
Production details
'Barah by Barah' production and distribution details
The film Barah by Barah is a collaborative effort between Madan and writer Sunny Lahiri.
The production is led by Jignesh Patel's Amdavaad Pictures, a renowned production house based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
The film will be released by Shiladitya Bora's Platoon Distribution.
Notably, the May 24 release date means that the movie will now lock horns with Manoj Bajpayee starrer Bhaiyya Ji, directed by Apoorv Singh Karki.