National Award-winning filmmaker Vinod Kapri’s film Pyre is set to release in cinemas across India on October 23, 2026. The movie follows the lives of an elderly couple living in a remote village in the Kumaon Himalayas.
Cast and Story Details
The film stars
80-year-old Padam Singh Kapri and 70-year-old Heera Devi, who are making their acting debut. Both lead actors are from Uttarakhand and had never faced a camera before. Padam Singh Kapri is a retired Army man, while Heera Devi is a homemaker, widow and former dancer. The story focuses on an ageing couple whose children have moved away in search of better opportunities, leaving the parents waiting for their return. The film examines how migration affects families and the relationship between parents and children who live away from their hometowns.
Pyre had its world premiere at the 28th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, where it won the PÖFF Best Film Audience Award. The movie has since been screened at several international film festivals, including the São Paulo International Film Festival, Cambridge Film Festival, Bath Film Festival, Fajr International Film Festival and the International Film Festival of Kerala. According to the makers, the film has won
18 international awards, including 15 Best Film awards. It also received Best Director awards in Serbia and Boston, along with recognition for its music, cinematography and sound.
The film is produced by Vinod Kapri, Suresh Joshi and Arindra Rai Chaudhuri under Bhagirathi Films and Mashakbeen Studios.
Cinépolis will distribute the film in cinemas across India. The music has been composed by Mychael Danna, and the lyrics have been written by Gulzar. Shot entirely in Uttarakhand, the film is set against the backdrop of the Himalayas and focuses on the lives of an elderly couple dealing with loneliness and separation.
