Feb 17
What were the Hottest Queer Films at Sundance 2025?
Frank J. Avella READ TIME: 12 MIN.
'Sabar Bonda' ('Cactus Pears')
Rohan Parashuram Kanawade's feature debut, "Sabar Bonda" ("Cactus Pears") is a slow-burning, meditative, and exquisite look at same-sex love and longing in a culture that expects a certain kind of generational behavior and capitulation. Kanawade's semi-autobiographical narrative examines the lives of rural and lower castes of India – not the obvious setting for a queer love story.
The film centers on Anand (Bhushan Bhingarkar), a 30-year-old who lives in Mumbai but must return to his countryside home to bury his father and observe the 10-day mourning period. He must also endure a constant barrage of questions about his marital status. Anand has no intention of marrying (a woman, anyway), and rekindles a relationship with his close childhood chum, Balya (Suraaj Suman), who is also unmarried, despite pressure from his family.
The film is about bonds familial and romantic, daring to explore what happens when those conflicting twains collide.
"Sabar Bonda" won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic, and is the very first Marathi language feature to premiere at Sundance.
