A scene from 'Bayaan'

Bayaan review: TIFF 2025

‘Bayaan’ begins with a rape that exposes the dangers of fanaticism and everyone’s willingness to turn a blind eye to the truth.

Officer Roohi (Huma Qureshi) has put off field work, perhaps intimidated by the unavoidable comparisons to her father’s distinguished career. But when they offer her the lead on a small-town case, she can’t turn down the opportunity. An anonymous letter published in a newspaper accuses the local guru, Maharaj (Chandrachur Singh), of rape and sexual assault.

Viewers will quickly realize Maharaj is a definition cult leader. He gains the loyalty of the people by supporting community initiatives that benefit everyone, regardless of their caste or creed. His influence is boundless as his worshippers blindly obey his will. His photo is everywhere, unnervingly keeping watch over his flock.

Read the full review of Bayaan at thatshelf.com

Similar Posts

  • Review: TIFF 2019: ‘Judy’ is a tale of joy and tears on- and off-screen (Includes first-hand account)

    Being a famous child actor is a difficult gig as you’re constantly in demand and living any semblance of a normal life may be out of the question with shoots and promotional tours filling your calendar. It was even worse before the rules protecting kids, regulating their work hours and mandating school work, were put into place. Before that, young actors were pushed to their limits with long work days, uncaring handlers and mismanaged careers. Judy Garland was America’s sweetheart, but it didn’t do her any favours in life. The biopic, Judy, is adapted from the stage play, “End of the Rainbow,” and portrays her final residence at a London nightclub in 1968.

  • Review: TIFF retrospective screens Maurice Pialat’s most successful film (Includes first-hand account)

    French cinema is historically a source of visceral narratives that don’t shy away from provocative subjects. Although director Maurice Pialat struck out at and from his contemporaries, the former painter was undoubtedly a product of the zeitgeist. His fascination with sexuality, Parisian families and tyrannical male figures underlies most of his work and is a reflection of many other French filmmakers; while his realist approach has often been compared to John Cassavetes. The TIFF retrospective, “Love Exists: The Films of Maurice Pialat,” demonstrates the many ways Pialat tackled these subjects in his films, though his most successful would be À nos amours.

  • Review: TIFF 2019: ‘Jungleland’ is neither road trip nor boxing movie (Includes first-hand account)

    Love is a tricky emotion because even though you love something or someone, you don’t necessarily have to like them too — at least not all of the time. But it’s in those moments of dislike that love is most important because it keeps you tethered, for better or worse. This happens often between family members and on a similar level, professional athletes. The time to worry is when the scales are weighing more heavily on the negative side. In Jungleland, adult siblings cling to their love for each other and boxing, but the ties that bind them aren’t as strong as they used to be.

  • Mama review: TIFF 2025

    ‘Mama’ is the sharp portrayal of a woman suddenly struck by the impact working abroad has on her role as matriarch.