Gaurav Madan’s ‘Barah by Barah’ to release in theatres on May 24

Mumbai, May 4 (PTI) Feature film “Barah by Barah”, directed by first-time filmmaker Gaurav Madan, will be released in theatres on May 24, the makers announced on Saturday.

The movie, which toured several film festivals across India and the globe, will be distributed by Shiladitya Bora’s Platoon Distribution. It is produced by Jignesh Patel’s Amdavaad Pictures, a press release said.

The film features an ensemble cast of Gyanendra Tripathi, Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, Harish Khanna, Akash Sinha and Bhumika Gopal Dube.

Written by Madan and Sunny Lahiri, “Barah by Barah” follows the story of Sooraj, the last remaining death photographer at the burning banks of Manikarnika in Varanasi, one of the most ancient towns in the world, which is undergoing a cosmetic facelift.

“The death photographer is going through the same ordeal as the town. People aren’t availing his services thanks to the advent of fancy smartphones with exquisite cameras. Sooraj has an ailing father, a beautiful caring wife and a young son whom he wants to keep away from the burning banks. He is struggling to make ends meet but still isn’t giving up on dummies. There are many who capture the living but only a few who click the departed.

“Unable to see a future for his family in Banaras Sooraj is forced to look for greener pastures beyond the singed banks of Manikarnika. He knows he is a migrant amidst a great many migrants in this ancient town stuck in a time bubble. Life will soon give him a chance to experience death and yet another shot at life as well,” the official plotline read.

Madan, who hails from a small town called Jagadhri in Haryana, said “Barah by Barah” is a very personal film. “My parents had to let go of our ancestral home because the government decided to widen the adjacent highway. The house was razed in front of my eyes and we had to migrate to a drab housing colony. Now, the entire town looks listless, like a big city clone. Progress is vital, of course, but there’s a part of me that misses the old town charm and sense of nostalgia.

“This film is a personal story, one I believe will resonate with anyone grappling with change, told through the lens of a novel protagonist,” the filmmaker said.