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EYE ON BOLLYWOOD DECEMBER 12, 2025 | The Indian Eye 30

Q&A WITH VINOD KAPRI

‘Pyre is a universal story

happening everywhere in the world

and people would relate to it’

RENU MEHTA
Toronto, ON
inod Kapri is an Indian filmmaker who has
many documentaries and features to his
Vcredit including I Can’t Take this Shit Any-
more (2014), Miss Tanakpur Haazir Ho (2015) and
Pihu (2018) amongst others.
His latest film, Pyre, was featured at the 2025
Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival
(MISAFF), founded by Arshad Khan, where it
earned both the Best Feature Film and Best Music
awards.
The film tells the story of two real life individ-
uals – Padam Singh and Hira Devi - who live in a
secluded Himalayan village where they struggle
with the isolation of a dwindling community. With
neighbors gradually leaving, they confront the
deepening solitude until they find themselves com-
pletely alone. Director Vinod Kapri speaks about
the inspiration behind the film and the challenges
that he faced while making the film.
What inspired the story? It was also challenging as these two people
I was visiting the Himalayas and met this couple
in their 80s and I asked them “what is your biggest were non actors, and they don’t understand the
camera, or the camera angle or which lens we are
worry, what is your biggest challenge?” The gen- using or what we are up to. Also, the geography
tlemen told me that his biggest fear was that if he and location was very challenging, but at the same
died first, what will happen to her”. I spent about time, we said we have to do this at any cost.
2-3 hours with them and tried to understand their I shot almost every scene on my mobile before
life. The thought remained with me as I realized How long did you take to write the script? we went for the proper shot. But everyone was ner-
that I should tell their story as this is very important. Initially, when I met this real life couple in 2017, vous when we shot that first scene when the couple
This is a universal story happening everywhere in I completely fell in love with their story and decided are having their dinner and he says this vegetable
the world and that people would relate to it. I would make a film with that couple only. I was is too salty. That was the first shot of the day and
not sure whether they will live for 3-4 months or not everybody in the crew clapped and we thought they
What was your biggest challenge in shooting the film? because they were so sick at that point of time. I have done the first scene so well, so now we are
I deliberately shot this film during the rainy
season. The conditions were very bad there and thought we would need a camera and take a skel- through the difficult part. After that we took five
every day we had to walk 2-3 hours to reach the eton crew of 7-8 people and we are going to shoot more takes, but that first shot said we can do the
with them.
film with this couple.
location. The first scene was very challenging, es- So I spoke to my Director of Photography
pecially where you see the couple on the cliff. That (DOP) and said I have to do this film in next two Tell us about the music and the other crew on this film?
scene took about four hours as both of them were We had some wonderful people who collabo-
non actors. When we completed the shot, everyone weeks. They asked me for the script. I said there rated on this film. Academy Award-winning music
is no script.
was clapping and feeling good as we felt the tough- During the 18-hour journey from Delhi to our composer Mychael Danna, who won an Oscar in
est scene in the film is over now. location, my DOP was constantly asking me for the 2012 for Life of Pi, instantly agreed to do the music
However, when I saw the rushes in the night, I for the film. Patricia Rommell, award winning Ger-
thought that no, this is not done. We have to shoot script. I told him don’t worry I will give you the man editor for The Lives of Others, and Gulzar Sa-
first draft before the shooting. So during the route,
this again. It was very tough especially for these peo- I was writing my first draft on my mobile. Almost hab who penned a song for Pyre. It is like a blessing
ple. So I went to the gentleman and said ”you know, that they did this film. Gulzar Sahab after watching
you did Fvery well, but Amma did some blunder”. 90 percent of the first draft is the same as you saw the rushes of the film called me and said this film
in the film
Then I went to Amma and said ”your performance reminds me of the films of Satyajit Ray. In fact, he
was fabulous but he was not good. ” She said “okay, How was the shooting with the protagonists who were didn’t charge anything for the film and neither did
tell him to do the scene nicely next time.” non actors? Patricia Rommell.

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