Filmmaker Vinod Kapri's 2024–2026 film Pyre (Chita) is set in Uttrakhand. What makes Pyre special is that it centres around 'ghost villages' of the state. The film stars Padam Singh and Heera Devi, an actual elderly Kumaoni couple in their eighties who had never faced a movie camera before.
The film lays bare the devastating human cost of rural out-migration where the younger generation leave alone the elderly to cope with isolation, failing health, leading to the slow decay of their community.
Shunning Hollywood-style drama, director Vinod Kapri roots the story in quiet routines, mountain downpours and patient silence as an aging couple clings to the fragile hope that their son will return after decades.
Pyre received several critical acclaims
The film won major global recognition, including the Best Film Audience Award at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) and honors across international festivals in Spain, London, Birmingham and Stuttgart, Germany.
Pyre Cast
Padam Singh Kapri as Padam
Hira Devi as Tulsi
Subhash Chandra as Laxman
Shubham Chaudhary as Jeewan
Sadab Khan as Bishan
Alok Verma as Kesar
Gopa Nayal as Kamala
Deewan Kanwal as Bhopal
Jaya Shah as Devki
Pushpa Pandey as Janki
Is Pyre available on OTT?
No, Pyre (directed by Vinod Kapri) is not available on any OTT platform right now.
FAQs
Where was Pyre movie filmed?
The film was shot on location in the high-altitude mountains and remote villages of Uttarakhand, India.
Were professional actors originally considered for the lead roles?
Yes. Vinod Kapri initially approached Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah. While both loved the script and quickly agreed, Shah developed a breathing ailment. Doctors strongly advised him against working at high altitudes.
What inspired Pyre?
A 2017 trek in Uttarakhand inspired Pyre, where director Vinod Kapri met an elderly couple stranded in an abandoned village.