Capital Celluloid 2024 — Day 290: Wed Oct 23

27 Down (Kaul, 1974): Barbican Cinema, 6.30pm

This film is part of the Barbican's excellent 'Rewriting the Rules: Pioneering Indian Cinema after 1970' season. You can find the full details here.

Barbican introduction:
27 Down follows the story of Sanjay, a young man whose life is irrevocably altered by a train journey from Bombay to Varanasi. As a ticket collector, his monotonous existence takes a turn when he meets Shalini, a compassionate teacher. Their relationship unfolds against the backdrop of the train's rhythmic journey, symbolizing the passage of time and life's transitory nature. Beautifully shot in noirish monochrome and with striking production design, 27 Down strives for a semi-documentary feel that is amplified by naturalistic on location shooting at various train stations and compartments. A key work in the foundational years of Parallel Cinema, 27 Down draws much of its emotional resonance from the understated interplay between Sanjay and Shalini’s transient but forlorn characters. 

Here (and above) is an extract.

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