 "‘In Search of the Sky’ Movie Review: Not much spoken words; Jitank Singh Gurjar’s new film talks about the stigma around mental health")
‘In Search of the Sky’ movie is about a poverty-stricken, elderly Indian couple who goes on a pilgrimage to Maha Kumbh with their developmentally disabled adult son. They go to Kumbh in search of healing him. But the movie takes a different turn here.
In the village Naran (Nikhil Yadav) is always bullied by the villagers because he is mentally disabled. His father, who loves his son dearly, thinks himself to be a curse. He is often insulted by the villagers saying that it would have been better if a dead child would have been born rather than a disabled child. Naran’s mother, however, thinks him to be God’s gift to her. An extremely important topic, told in a manner that will touch the heart of all. Disability in Indian cinema is often overlooked. But, the way debutant director, Jitank Singh Gurjar has portrayed it is really commendable.
‘In Search of the Sky’ is authentic, complex, and empowering portrayals of a developmentally disabled adult son and the plight of the caregiver. It is extremely challenging for the families because of the humiliation they have to go through in society because of giving birth to a child who is not normal as per others in the village. The movie points out how Naran’s disability is often seen by the society as the cause of a sinful past life.
‘In Search of the Sky’ has handled the topic of disability in a rather very thoughtful manner. In the past disability in Indian cinema had been negatively shown through pitiful means. Disabled characters were a kind of lighthearted comedic relief. This Braj-language film has been shown at the Toronto’s Centrepiece program for the festival’s 50th anniversary. The film is immersive, sharp and most importantly relatable.
The film shows how society can be extremely ruthless. The family constantly faces mockery from villagers, and the father questions his ability to continue caring for their son as his health declines. The elderly couple convey the emotions of being parents to a specially disabled child in the most convincing possible way. Every day is a struggle of survival for the couple. Jasrath (Raghvendra Bhadoriya) and Vidya, Naran’s mother (Meghna Agarwal) are shown trapped both financially and mentally and are often humiliated by the society. Often the villagers hint at the fact that it is time they should get rid of their developmentally disabled adult son.
A businessman pressurises the father to take away the family’s land. For the couple faith becomes the last hope and they head to Kumbh Mela in search of healing. The father though many a times have thought of bringing an end to the pain. But life takes a different turn. It’s an open-ended film and is left for you to understand whether Naran (Nikhil Yadav) actually heals or not. The film handles disability in the most sensitive possible way.
Rating: 3 and half out of 5
WATCH the trailer of ‘In Search of the Sky’ here:
Lachmi Deb Roy is the Entertainment Editor of Firstpost, Network18. She reviews films and series with a gender lens. She is a 'Rotten Tomatoes' certified critic. Her interviews are called 'Not Just Bollywood' because she takes a huge interest in world cinema. She has been the winner of the prestigious Laadli Media and Advertising Award for Gender Sensitivity for two consecutive years, 2020 and 2021. OTT over theatrical releases is her preference unless and until it's a King Khan film. She takes interest in fashion, food and art reviews too.