A quiet storm of emotions.

Research shows that the average person scrolls through a streaming service for nineteen minutes before settling on a movie or show. On June 14th 2024, I was no exception. Amazon Prime boasts a library of over 15,000 movies yet finding something worthwhile feels like finding a needle in a haystack. The platform is a frustrating mash of popular titles that I’ve watched several times and underwhelming new releases. That’s when I stumbled across A Death in The Gunj. Directed by Konkona Sensharma, with a stellar cast including Kalki Koechlin, Vikrant Massey, and Ranvir Shorey, I was surprised I had never heard of it. The usual Google search and Letterboxd search ensued, and the results: positive. Almost unbelievably positive. Me being the dense dimwit I am, I added the movie to my watchlist and watched Kal Ho Naa Ho for the seventh time.

Fast forward to January 7th, 2025. I had ignored the movie for long enough. I finally sat down one evening with my sister to watch it. After the film got through its runtime just shy of two hours, both of us got up, quietly washed the dishes, and went to bed. It took us an entire day to bring the movie up. This time however, I’ll be more upfront. A Death in The Gunj is one of the best movies I have ever watched, and profoundly impactful.

Adapted from a short story by the director’s father, A Death in The Gunj presents a deceptively simple plot with few settings but is extremely well crafted. Unlike most other movies which carry an air of fictionality, I found A Death in The Gunj strikingly authentic.

This movie is exceedingly exceptional, so much so that it’s hard to believe that it could be a directorial debut. Konkona Sensharma exhibits remarkable decisiveness and composure in every scene. From the pacing and length of each scene to the positioning of the camera, the settings, and the nuance behind each character’s personality all point toward her clear and unwavering vision. She nails the pacing, with the film flowing seamlessly, steadily building suspense. Moreover, I loved how the movie consistently subverts the viewer’s expectations. It is astounding how good she is at knowing exactly what she wants and ensuring how all the little details engage the audience further without losing sight of the big picture.

The soundtrack is so integral to the film, that it almost qualifies as another character of the film. Composed by Sagar Desai, the music infuses emotion into every scene, and it does so effectively that it becomes inseparable from the story. The songs are… beautiful, though that word seems immensely insufficient to describe them. Descriptions like eerie, haunting, and heart-wrenching all fall well short.

The cinematography is another reason behind this movie’s charm. I would have never thought I would witness a trunk shot in Bollywood, especially one executed so well. The director of photography, Sirsha Ray, received a Filmfare Award for Best Cinematography for this movie and it’s no surprise why. The cinematography is such a breath of fresh air. In an industry filled with fast-paced shots and innumerable cuts, Sirsha Ray presents a unique experience. Not afraid to use static wide shots and let the shot linger even after the characters have gone out of frame, each scene of the film is one to behold, full of individuality. Pausing the film at any moment is going to give you a fantastic still.

As important as these behind-the-scenes crew are, it is the actors who are ultimately responsible for executing the director’s vision and embodying the character. And this cast does this faultlessly. For Vikrant Massey, this was his first lead role in Bollywood, and he delivers a performance of a lifetime. He captures the sensitivity and fragility of Shutu superbly. His performance resonates with the audience so deeply that the audience can’t help but see parts of themselves in Shutu and relate with his pain, that feels uncomfortably intimate. For me personally, I’ve never felt so connected and protective of a character in a film before. That said, the rest of the cast is fantastic too. Ranvir Shorey, Kalki Koechlin, and Jim Sarbh deliver stellar performances, doing justice to their characters – impeccably portraying unlikeable, insecure, and layered characters.

After some digging, I discovered that A Death in The Gunj won Filmfare awards for Best Debut Director, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design and nominations for Best Film (Critics), Best Actor (Critics), and Best Background Score, among others. Despite all these, it experienced a modest opening and limited public acclaim. I can only hope that over time, this movie reaches a wider audience and cements itself as a cult classic, because there is no movie that deserves it more.