Official Selection out of Competition | | Hindi | 145 min
In the city of Bareilly, in Uttar Pradesh, one of the most populous State of India, Shravan, an aspiring boxer slogs day and night to achieve his dream of being a recognized boxer. He is forced to run errands for Bhagwan, who heads the state boxing federation, responsible for identifying local talent and promoting it to national or the international level. A time comes, when Shravan can no longer accept the humiliation of
being treated like a slave. In a fit of rage and on extreme provocation, he lands a punch on the face of his tormentor, a reaction that will cost him dearly and seriously jeopardize his chances of furthering his career in boxing. Matters get worse when he falls in love with a high caste girl who happens to be the niece of his arch nemesis. To marry his love, he needs a job and for him, the path to a stable government job is through what he does best: boxing. But Shravan soon finds out that in India, boxing is about everything else but the sport, which is heightened by the volatile political climate of Uttar Pradesh.
Based on a true story, Anurag Kashyap’s The Brawler, not only hits out at corruption in sports in India but also brings to light inequalities, social injustices and religious fanaticism - issues that India needs to address and resolve rather urgently. Much like most of Kashyap’s work, this intense thriller, peppered with a moving love story, sets out the agenda for change.
Anurag Kashyap (Born Gorkahpur, India), the most influential Indian filmmaker in recent times is credited as Director, Producer, Writer and Actor in more than 80 films. His early works as a film director Paanch (2003) and Black Friday (2004) were banned in India but acclaimed for their boldness and cinematic brilliance. His features Dev. D (2009), Gulal (2009) and That Girl in Yellow Boots (2010) premiered at Venice Film Festival. Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), Ugly (2014) and Psycho Raman (2016) premiered at Director’s Fortnight at Cannes film festival.
Connect with us
