Cactus Pears

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Cactus Pears

1h 52m

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Popcornmeter

94%

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18 Reviews

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0 Verified Ratings

Anand, a 30-something city dweller compelled to spend a 10-day mourning period for his father in the rugged countryside of western India, tenderly bonds with a local farmer who is struggling to stay unmarried. As the mourning ends, forcing his return, Anand must decide the fate of his relationship born under duress.

Rohan Kanawade

Director

Bhushaan Manoj

Anand

Suraaj Suman

Balya

Jayshri Jagtap

Suman

Harish Baraskar

Raja Mama

Ram Daund

Gajanan

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Lovia Gyarkye

The Hollywood Reporter

In less assured hands, Cactus Pears might have edged into trite territory, yielding to the familiar beats of trauma-laden queer love stories, but Kanawade’s considered direction and spare storytelling keep the narrative refreshing.

Jul 31, 2025

Full Review

Siddhant Adlakha

Variety

The logistics of grief create an emotional haze around Anand, which [Bhushaan Manoj] fashions into an invisible weighted blanket in his performance.

Feb 3, 2025

Full Review

Robert Daniels

RogerEbert.com

A sensual, tender queer romance, writer/director Rohan Kanawade’s semi-autobiographical feature debut “Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears)” sees love grow from death.

Feb 2, 2025

Full Review

Gerald Peary

Arts Fuse

The character of Anand is too passive to really get behind and root for, and Kanawade’s direction is somewhat languid, even sluggish.

Jun 23, 2025

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Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

Although writer/director Rohan Kanawade grew up in the city, there is a deep sense of authenticity about the village setting, and the whole film is handled with a rare degree of sensitivity.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jun 2, 2025

Full Review

Josh Parham

Next Best Picture

The beauty at the heart of “Cactus Pears” is how it deftly traverses the thorny terrain that manifests during times of crisis. The death of loved ones will always be a time of heartache, as the whole left by them can feel like an insurmountable challenge.

Rated: 8/10

Feb 25, 2025

Full Review

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Synopsis

Anand, a 30-something city dweller compelled to spend a 10-day mourning period for his father in the rugged countryside of western India, tenderly bonds with a local farmer who is struggling to stay unmarried. As the mourning ends, forcing his return, Anand must decide the fate of his relationship born under duress.

Director: Rohan Kanawade
Producer: Naren Chandavarkar, Neeraj Churi, Rohan Kanawade, Mohamed Khaki, Sidharth Meer, Kaushik Ray, Hareesh Reddypalli
Screenwriter: Rohan Kanawade
Distributor: Strand Releasing
Production Co: Dark Stories, Lotus Visual Productions, Moonweave Films, Taran Tantra Telefilms, Bridge PostWorks
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: Marathi
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 21, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 52m