| Bhagwan Bharose | |
| Director: | Shiladitya Bora |
| Story: | Sudhakar Nilmani 'Eklavya' |
| Screenplay: | Sudhakar Nilmani 'Eklavya' |
| Starring: |
|
| Music: | Indian Ocean (band) |
| Cinematography: | Surjodeep Ghosh |
| Editing: | Suraj Gunjal |
| Studio: | Platoon One Films |
| Runtime: | 95 minutes[1] |
| Country: | India |
| Language: | Hindi |
Bhagwan Bharose[2] is an Indian 2023 Hindi language film directed by Shiladitya Bora.[3] The film stars Satendra Soni, Sparsh Suman, Vinay Pathak,[4] Masumeh Makhija, Shrikant Verma, Mahesh Sharma and Sawan Tank[5] and Manurishi Chaddha.[6] It is produced by Prasanna Vithanage along with Platoon One Films, Lighthouse Innoventures & Sri Sathya Sai Arts. The film is based on a true story by Sudhakar Neelmani, with screenplay and dialogues by Sudhakar and Mohit Chauhan. It features original music by the Indian rock band Indian Ocean (band) with lyrics by Sanjeev Sharma.[7] Bhagwan Bharose is selected as the Closing Film for the 25th UK Asian Film Festival, London.[8] [9]
Bhagwan Bharose is about two young, impressionable kids whose ideas about faith are constantly questioned and changed as their little world expands and takes into its fold, their country's fast-changing socio-political landscape. The official tagline of the film highlights it as a story of lost childhood.[10]
The music of the film is composed by Indian Ocean, a popular Indian rock band with lyrics by Sanjeev Sharma. Along with the songs, Indian ocean has also created the background music for the film.
Canadian film company Rhythm Boyz acquired the overseas distribution rights for North America, Canada, U.K., Australia and New Zealand and released Bhagwan Bharose in these markets on Oct. 13.[13] PVR Inox Pictures will release the film in India on the same day.[14] The official theatrical poster of the film was unveiled by the Indian auteur Sriram Raghavan on 21 September 2023.[15]
Bhagwan Bharose had its world premiere at the 25th UK Asian Film Festival held from 4–14 May 2023 in London, where it also won the Flame Award for Best Film.[16] It was also selected as the closing film of the 9th Jaffna International Cinema Festival in Sri Lanka.[17]
In January 2024, Bhagwan Bharose is scheduled to be featured at the renowned Honolulu Museum of Art's Doris Duke Theatre, situated in Hawaii and recognized as the state's largest independent arthouse theatre.[18] Additionally, it will be first Indian film to be showcased at the Snowdance Independent Film Festival, Essen, Germany. Snowdance is ranked among the top 100 best-reviewed festivals globally.[19]
It is the first independent film, in India, to get a commercial release in Leh Ladakh, at the world's highest mobile cinema hall which is perched at an astonishing 11,562 feet.[20]
Bobby LePire of Film Threat gave the film a 10/10 movie score and wrote that, "The screenwriters and director have something they are passionate about and convey it with heart. The film is simply beautiful to behold."[21]
Dhaval Roy of The Times of India gave it a 3.5 star and said that "The film is thought-provoking without being preachy. What truly stands out about the movie is the strong message it delivers without letting go of the compelling story and narrative."[22]
Saumya Baijal from Outlook India writes in her article that, "Ab Toh Sab Bhagwan Bharose is a timely reminder of a past that has shaped the hate of the present...A film and script like this is deeply aware of its gaze. A third person viewing that is strikingly personal, set in the languid village that not once favors any narrative."[23]
From Mint Lounge, Udita Jhunjhunwala writes in her review of Bhagwan Bharose, "Several ideas in this unhurried story...Director Shiladitya Bora's debut feature film extracts wonderful performances from its young cast"[24]