Agra (2023 film)

Agra
Official poster
Directed byKanu Behl
Written by
  • Atika Chohan
  • Kanu Behl
Produced by
  • Vikram Mehra
  • Siddarth Anand Kumar
  • William Jéhannin
  • Kanu Behl
Starring
CinematographySaurabh Monga
Edited by
  • Samarth Dixit
  • Nitesh Bhatia
Music byKaran Gour
Production
companies
Distributed byLes Films de l'Atalante
Release date
  • 24 May 2023 (2023-05-24) (Cannes)
Running time
132 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

Agra (/ˈɑːɡrə/, Hindustani: [ˈaːgraː] ⓘ) is a 2023 Hindi-language Indian drama film, co-written and directed by Kanu Behl. It features debutant Mohit Agarwal, Priyanka Bose, Ruhani Sharma, Vibha Chibber, Sonal Jha and Aanchal Goswami in pivotal roles. The film follows Guru, a young single call center employee who still lives with his parents. Consumed by frustration, he plunges into a fever bordering on insanity, between pathetic fantasies, dating apps and hysterical self-harm.

It premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival Directors' Fortnight on 24 May 2023 with the description, "Agra grasps the so called reality of patriarchy in India through the prism of male sexual misery".[1]

Cast

Production

In November 2022, the film was selected for India’s Film Bazaar strand, which is a part of Film Bazaar, the South Asia film project market operated by India’s National Film Development Corporation.[4]

Agra was filmed in June and July 2019. It was shot on location in Agra.[5] In 2020, when the film was in the middle of post production, its release was held up for five months due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Release

The film premiered at 2023 Cannes Film Festival in Directors' Fortnight on 24 May 2023.[6][7]

In August 2023, it was selected at 2023 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, where it won the Best Indie Film award and Best Performance in Film (male) award for Mohit Agarwal.[8]

It was screened at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in 'A Window on Asian Cinema' on 7 October 2023,[9][10] as well as at the 20th Hong Kong Asian Film Festival (zh:香港亞洲電影節) on 31 October and 12 November 2023.[11] It was also screened at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023, where it won the Special Jury Prize.[12]

Reception

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes website, the film has an approval rating of 100% based on 7 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10.[13]

Agra which had its world premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the 76th Cannes Film Festival received a 5-minute standing ovation.[14]

Fabien Lemercier reviewing for Cineuropa praised the film and wrote, "A hard-hitting and audacious film that will leave no one indifferent and that only a formally talented filmmaker like Kanu Behl could bring to a safe harbour beyond its ambient darkness."[15] Namrata Joshi for ScreenDaily wrote in review that in the film "...the characters are developed well and have complexity to them, and the terrific ensemble cast elevates the film; particularly Bose, Agarwal and Roy...".[16]

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave a positive review and described it as "a triumphal return to Cannes".[17] Anna M. M. Vetticad wrote on Himal Southasian: "Agra is an unsettling reminder of why society should study the victim-turned-victimiser phenomenon, the heterogeneity of evil and persecution, if we wish to combat the self-destructive nature of patriarchy." Vetticad added, "The optimistic view is that just as 'life finds a way', to quote Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, so too good cinema will find its audience."[18]

Accolades

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee(s) of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023 Best Indie Film Agra Won [8]
Best Performance in Film (male) Mohit Agarwal Won

References

  1. ^ "Kanu Behl's Agra to have world premiere at Directors' Fortnight of Cannes Film Festival". The Indian Express. 18 April 2023. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  2. ^ Sashidhar Adivi (22 June 2019). "Ruhani Sharma goes North". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 9 August 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Rahul Roy heads back on set with film on sexual dynamics within a family". Mid-Day. 20 July 2019. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  4. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (13 November 2022). "'Agra,' 'Joram,' 'Sultana's Dream' Among Projects Selected for India's Film Bazaar Sidebars". Variety. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  5. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (23 May 2023). "Sexual Repression in India and an 'Agra' Without Taj Mahal: Kanu Behl on Cannes Directors' Fortnight Selection". Variety. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  6. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (18 April 2023). "Cannes Directors' Fortnight Unveils 2023 Line-Up: Michel Gondry, Hong Sangsoo, 'Good Time' DoP Sean Price Williams Make Cut – Full List & Film Details". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Selection 2023". Quinzaine des cinéastes. Archived from the original on 13 June 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  8. ^ a b "IFFM 2023 full winners list: Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan, Rani Mukerji, Sita Ramam win top honours". Hindustan Times. 11 August 2023. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  9. ^ "The 28th Busan International Film Festival: Selection List". Busan International Film Festival. 5 September 2023. Archived from the original on 15 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  10. ^ "Karan Johar's 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' headed to Busan Film Festival". Times of India. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Agra, HKAFF - Hong Kong Asian Film Festival". Hong Kong Asian Film Festival. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  12. ^ Shackleton, Liz (4 November 2023). "'Against The Tide', 'Bahadur' & 'Agra' Take Top Awards At Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Agra (2023, Drama)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  14. ^ "Kanu Behl's Agra premieres at Cannes, gets 5-minute standing ovation at Directors' Fortnight". Hindustan Times. 25 May 2023. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  15. ^ Lemercier, Fabien (25 May 2023). "Cannes 2023: Directors' Fortnight Review: Agra". Cineuropa. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  16. ^ Joshi, Namrata (25 May 2023). "'Agra': Cannes Review". ScreenDaily. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  17. ^ Gupta, Shubhra (27 May 2023). "Express at Cannes: Anurag Kashyap, Kanu Bahl chart triumphal returns". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  18. ^ Vetticad, A.M.M. (30 May 2023). "In 'Agra', a grim portrait of the repressed Indian man". Himal Southasian. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.