Parched

“Society has rules for a reason,” says a village elder at the opening of this modern melodrama. And the rural community—home to widowed Rani, her vivacious best friend Lajjo, and the erotic dancer Bijli—lives and dies by those rules the old man cites. But when it falls to Rani to find a teenage bride for her entitled 15-year-old son, she and her friends begin to subtly question this status quo that favors men, sends child brides to abusive husbands, and ostracizes women for being educated and opinionated. With a bold visual confidence, director Leena Yadav combines the stark realism of Rajasthan's hostile desert landscapes with a Bollywood palette, vibrant tones that celebrate the unleashing of the women's repressed sensuality and dreams. Splendidly shot by Academy Award®-winning cinematographer Russell Carpenter, PARCHED gradually accrues a feeling of grandeur—mirroring the way in which Yadav elevates these women's stories, transforming her characters' struggles into a stirring portrayal of liberation. (In Hindi with subtitles) –Toronto International Film Festival