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CANADA Newsline SEPTEMBER 19, 2025 | The Indian Eye 37
In Search of the Sky – A film of Emotions, Endurance and Liberation
RENU MEHTA religious gatherings like the Kumbh Mela, left a
lasting impact on Sharma.
Toronto
“It was heartbreaking to see people leave their
n Search of The Sky, a film by Jitank Singh Gur- loved ones and walk away,” said Sharma. “We
jar, was presented at the Toronto International thought this would be a powerful way to showcase
IFilm Festival (TIFF) that tells the story of an their stories to the world”
elderly couple living in abject poverty in rural In- Gurjar grew up in Gwalior, which helps him
dia. They work hard to earn money—the husband show the setting and the challenges of poverty. The
carries bricks at a kiln, and the wife makes and sells film includes work by cinematographer Shelly Shar-
cow dung cakes used for fuel. They also care for ma and actor Nikhil Yadav, who plays Naran.
their adult son, Naran (Nikhil Yadav), who has a Yadav’s portrayal of Naran is impossible to ig-
mental disability. nore as he brings a childlike and vulnerable sweetness.
The couple faces pressure from villagers and a “Nikhil Yadav is a theatre actor and when we
businessman who wants their land. Some people sug- made the decision to cast him, we knew he was ab-
gest they should give up their son because they may solutely right for the role,” says Sharma adding that
not be able to care for him as they grow older. The they completed the film in 11 days. The first few days
mother refuses, but the father begins to consider it. were shot in Kumbh Mela after which the shooting
A villager tells them about the Maha Kumbh Mela, moved to the rural interiors of Madhya Pradesh.
a religious event that happens once every 144 years. The film’s soundtrack is steeped in folk tradi-
The couple decides to go, hoping to find a solution. tions, echoing the music common in Indian villages
The film came into being after Pooja Vishal but now fading with the younger generation. These
Sharma, producer and writer of the film, travelled melodies serve not only as a cultural anchor but
to the interiors of Madhya Pradesh to visit Swarg also as a poignant reminder of what is being lost—
Sadan, an NGO where she spent an entire day and not just in sound, but in spirit.
witnessed the emotional trauma of the discarded The film ends in ambiguity leaving the audi-
children, the elderly, the mentally challenged and ence to draw their own conclusions. However, the
physically sick. Pooja Vishal Sharma, Producer and Writer; Jitank Singh storytelling draws attention to the crushing weight
Witnessing the emotional trauma of aban- Gurjar, Director; and Shelly Sharma, Cinematographer of poverty, the redemptive force of love, and the
doned children and the elderly, especially during quiet resilience of personal faith.
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