Cactus Pears

Sabar Bonda

Directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade

2025

Drama , LGBTQ+

112 min

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India United Kingdom Canada

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Marathi

Synopsis

Anand (30), a call-center employee in Mumbai, is forced to spend ten days at his ancestral village to mourn the loss of his father at the behest of his mother, Suman (50).
As the mourning period begins post-cremation, he faces subtle but relentless badgering from relatives to get married so that at least his mother finds the pleasure of seeing him settled. Anand finds himself stifled, as coming out to extended family could alienate his mother from the relatives when she needs them the most.
He finds solace in his childhood friend, Balya (30), as he accompanies him on his daily outings into the mountains to herd goats. Balya has been using the ‘educated girls favoring city-dwellers over farmers’ as a ruse to stay unmarried as he undergoes similar pressures relating to his sexuality from his family.
To escape their pressures, the two men spend time together. Hailing from different worlds but bound by childhood memories, they connect over their common struggle. As the days pass, their intimacy blooms emotionally and physically. With the mourning period ending, will their burgeoning bond survive beyond the ten days?
Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) explores the delicate bonds that develop under duress and the future of it.

Festival Selections

Sundance Film Festival, 2025

Festivals

2025

  • Sundance Film Festival | World Cinema Dramatic Competition

About the Director

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Rohan Parashuram Kanawade

Rohan Parashuram Kanawade is a self-made filmmaker raised in a Mumbai slum by a chauffeur father and homemaker mother. Transitioning from interior design to filmmaking, Rohan’s short films have screened globally. His debut feature, Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears), was developed at the Venice Biennale College Cinema 2022-2023 and participated in platforms such as Film Bazaar, Venice Gap Financing Market, and Goes to Cannes. His short films include U Ushacha (U for Usha), Khidkee (Window), Sundar (Beautiful), and Ektya Bhinti (Lonely Walls).

Filmography

Cactus Pears (2025)

  • Sundance Film Festival

Cast & Crew

Cast:
Bhushaan Manoj, Suraaj Suman, Jayshri Jagtap
Script:
Rohan Parashuram Kanawade
Cinematographer:
Vikas Urs
Editor:
Rohan Parashuram Kanawade
Sound design & mix:
Anirban Borthakur, Naren Chandavarkar
VXF:
Nitin Kale
Producer:
Neeraj Churi, Mohamed Khaki, Kaushik Ray, Naren Chandavarkar, Sidharth Meer, Hareesh Reddypalli, Rohan Parashuram Kanawade
Production Company:
Lotus Visual Productions

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