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