National Award-winning filmmaker Vinod Kapri has announced that his Hindi feature film Pyre will arrive in cinemas across India on October 23, 2026. The film, which follows an elderly couple living in a remote village in the Kumaon Himalayas, has already built a strong reputation on the international festival circuit with 18 awards, including 15 Best Film honours. The theatrical release will be handled by Cinépolis.
The announcement was made on September 28, 2026. The film stars 80-year-old Padam Singh Kapri, a retired Indian Army soldier, and 70-year-old Heera Devi, a homemaker and former dancer. Neither had ever faced a camera before this project. Both actors come from Berinag Tehsil in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district.
What Pyre Is About
Set in a remote village in the Kumaon region, Pyre tells the story of an ageing couple, Padam and Tulsi, whose lives revolve around their home, their memories and each other. Their children have moved away in search of better opportunities, leaving the couple waiting for their return.
The film examines how migration affects families, particularly the relationship between parents and children who live far from their hometowns. Shot entirely in the Uttarakhand mountains, the film combines the scale of the Himalayas with a close look at a changing family situation.
The story comes from Kapri’s visit to Munsyari in 2017, where he met an elderly couple who kept around 40 goats. The man told Kapri that every time someone helped him take his wife to the doctor, he gave them a goat. When asked what he would do when the goats ran out, the man answered, “Before the goats are done, we will be gone.” That line appears in the film.
Director on Casting Real Villagers
Kapri chose to cast non-professional actors from the region rather than trained performers. He initially approached veteran actor-couple Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah for the film, but later decided to cast local people who had lived the life depicted in the story.
“Pyre is ultimately a film about love, between two people who have spent their lives together, and between parents and their children. I wanted to tell this story through two people who had lived that life themselves. Finding Padam Singh ji and Heera Devi ji was extraordinary. Their relationship, silences and emotions brought a truth to the screen that conventional actors could never have recreated.”
Padam Singh Kapri plays Padam Singh in the film and is a retired Army man. Heera Devi plays Tulsi and is a homemaker, widow and former dancer.
International Festival Run and Awards
Pyre had its world premiere at the 28th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, where it won the PÖFF Best Film Audience Award. The film has since screened at several major festivals, including the São Paulo International Film Festival, Cambridge Film Festival, Bath Film Festival, Fajr International Film Festival and the International Film Festival of Kerala.
The film has collected 18 international awards, including 15 Best Film awards at festivals and events in Washington D.C., Chicago, Canada, Spain, Boston, Stuttgart, London and Birmingham. Kapri has also received Best Director honours in Serbia and Boston, along with recognition for the film’s music, cinematography and sound.
At the 22nd Indian Film Festival Stuttgart, the film won the German Star of India award for Best Feature Film. At the 8th India International Film Festival of Boston, it took home both Best Feature Film and Best Director. The film also won the Best Film Audience Award at the 16th Chicago South Asian Film Festival.
Music and Production Team
The film’s music has been composed by Academy Award winner Mychael Danna, known for his work on Life of Pi, Monsoon Wedding, Little Miss Sunshine and Moneyball. Veteran lyricist Gulzar has written a song for the film. The editing was handled by German editor Patricia Rommel, whose credits include The Lives of Others and The Tourist.
Pyre is produced by Vinod Kapri, Suresh Joshi and Arindra Rai Chaudhuri under the banners of Bhagirathi Films and Mashakbeen Studios. Cinépolis will distribute the film in cinemas across India.
Kapri’s Filmmaking Background
Vinod Kapri is a National Award-winning filmmaker. His previous works include 1232 KMs (2015) and Pihu (2018). Pihu had a single protagonist, a two-year-old girl, and was released globally on Netflix. Kapri has said that the response to Pihu gave him the confidence to make Pyre.
The director has described the eight-year journey of making Pyre as challenging. In a recent interview, he said he had almost given up hope that the film would ever see the light of day.
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Release Information
Pyre will release in cinemas across India on October 23, 2026. The film will be distributed theatrically by Cinépolis.
For global audiences, the film has already been screened at festivals in Estonia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Iran, Germany, Spain, the United States and India. The makers have not yet announced streaming platform details or international theatrical release dates outside India. Audiences in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia and other regions should watch for further distribution announcements.
The film runs for approximately 111 minutes and is in Hindi.
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