Spoilers ahead…
This assured film is a chronicle of contrasts: man versus woman, blind faith versus practicality, progress versus status-quo…
Fire In the Mountains runs just eighty-something minutes and it’s Ajitpal Singh’s debut feature. It premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, and is centred on a family in a remote Himalayan village. On the radio, there’s constant news of how this government has done these great things none of the earlier governments did. But at least in this tough terrain, the reality appears a little different. The principal source of the economy seems to be providing homestays to cost-conscious middle-class vacationers, but the homestays near the main road seem to be doing better. What about the ones deeper inside the village, which have no roads for easy access? That is one of the many issues faced by Chandra, a steely woman played by Vinamrata Rai in a performance of pure steel. Looking at her, you know she won’t bend or break. Halfway through the film, you realise why. She cannot afford to bend or break. She is the sole breadwinner of the family.
You can read the rest of the review here:
https://www.galatta.com/hindi/movie/review/fire-in-the-mountains/
And you can watch the video review here:
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