Starring: Irrfan Khan, Tillotama Shome, Rasika Dugal, Tisca Chopra
Directed by Anup Singh
Rating: ***
Set during the Partition (and its aftermath) in Punjab, Qissa is a powerful and moving, gender-bending film about identity, sexuality, reality and charades. Most of all, it’s about deep-seated patriarchy and its consequences on individual lives and relationships. The languid, serene narrative hides a staggering tension within. The language is far from the urban Punjabi we hear—it’s more rural and rustic, as though from another time. Yet it’s authentic: it manages to reach out and touch us.
M.J. Akbar 
Jairam Ramesh 
