In Search of The Sky

Jitank Singh Gurjar’s second feature is a resonant, indelible tale about faith, poverty, and familial obligation. The film follows an elderly couple struggling to make ends meet. The husband hauls bricks at a kiln all day while his wife supplements their income by making and selling cow dung cakes people use for fuel. She also dotingly cares for their mentally challenged adult son, Naran.

Every day tests their endurance. And now the vultures are circling. A businessman covets the family’s land. He and other villagers hint that the couple should “rid” themselves of Naran since they will never be able to care for him in their declining years. Naran’s mother is incensed, but his exhausted father can’t get the idea out of his head.

When another villager suggests they make a pilgrimage to the Maha Kumbh Mela, an enormous religious gathering that only occurs every 144 years, they take an enormous risk, hoping for a solution to their dilemma.

Gurjar’s familiarity with the film’s setting (he grew up in Gwalior in central India) and of poverty’s devastating impact, invests the film with powerful authenticity. The director is aided immensely by Shelly Sharma’s evocative cinematography and a stunning performance by Nikhil Yadav as Naran.

In Search of The Sky ends with a haunting ambiguity, leaving the fate of the family open to interpretation. Gurjar’s focus, however, is unmistakable. He turns our attention to deeply human, universally resonant themes: the crushing weight of poverty, the redemptive force of love, and the quiet resilience of personal faith.

ROBYN CITIZEN