‘Pyre’ is a film about death as much as a meditation on how to live with dignity and love

Bubu (Padam Singh) has kept the funeral pyre ready for himself and his wife, Amma aka Tulsi (Hira Devi). His son, who left 28 years ago, has not returned despite letters indicating he will. The village in Pithoragarh where they live is being emptied out, with young people leaving for the town, climate refugees all, as cloudbursts threaten to wash away their fragile homes. Water has seeped into their home through every crack, from the roof to the floor.

We are lost, our homes are lost, says Amma. Like many people of their age, Amma and Bubu are just waiting to die, getting through the days with pretend and wistful folk songs.

Beautifully shot with a real life couple, Vinod Kapri's Pyre is a meditation on how to live, with dignity and love. Bubu makes tea for Amma when she is unwell, putting on her socks for her when she is freezing. Amma is always ready to feed him, and insists he takes a bath when they are expecting their son. But will their son come or has he really got lost, just like his parents?

Love, eventually, keeps both alive, their love for each other and for their son. Will it be enough to keep their home and village together? Elegiac, meditative, tragic but also remarkably warm and funny, Padam Singh and Hira Devi make death almost attractive.