September 11, 2026
FILM: LOVERS IN THE BLUE NIGHT
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: ANUPARNA ROY
STARRING: PRITAM PILANIA, NEELIMA SHARMA, BHUSHAN SHIMPI
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
At the start of Lovers in the Blue Night, an announcement is being made on an outside shoreline about a coming storm that will lead to floods. Everyone, including refugees from Bangladesh, is asked to come inside. The storm is a metaphor for something which will change the lives of several people on the outskirts of Mumbai. It’s not an actual storm per se, but a personal and cultural shift. Writer/Director Anuparna Roy’s film is heavy and dark but also likely realistic for those experiencing similar circumstances making it potentially a tough sit.
Karim (Pritam Pilania) is a quiet Bengali man in India who makes a living creating and selling rat poison. He is married to Ameena (Neelima Sharma) who works for a phone sex line. These are, apparently, the only means they have to support each other. Soon though, Karim gets involved with a group of thieves who steal fairly large scale items from rich people’s homes. One of the leaders of this gang is Sukka, a loud, flashy man with blue streaks in his short mullet styled hair. Clearly, he stands out and these elements are what attracts Karim to him. They begin an affair while Ameena, aware that Karim isn’t interested in sex with her, begins a hook up with a co-worker, Omran (or Omi, the Hindu name he is given.)
Of course, none of this is easy and without a series of rough encounters and scrapes. Their relationships are the most interesting part of the film however and it takes a while for the narrative to get there. The first half of the story sets up their living and working conditions. The setting is very dark and grimy. Underhanded work takes place in clubs, the phone sex company, and the homes of those being robbed (whom we never really see.) It all makes for excessive exposition before the real heart of the story begins. This is a sad world for the Bengali refugees and speaks to larger problems associated with those seeking a better life. Clearly this isn’t it. Characters are lonely, lost, and seem to have few choices.
The queer identity exploration is a bit bumpy here too. There are quick shifts in characters’ allegiances that sadly feel like life before gay liberation in most western cultures of the world, suggesting things aren’t better everywhere. But Sukka, in particular, may be the most tragic figure. As “alive” as Karim believes him to be, he actually is pretty trapped himself by taking on a higher profile role with the gang. There are possibilities of hope for Karim and Ameena later but it’s not clear about Sukka.
There are a few bright spots in the film though, including a lovely score during the more intimate moments between the characters. The sea also provides some relief suggesting a wider open space for escape and freedom.
The question is whether the characters can truly experience being alive and free or if have they chosen to live in a sea of death. Thankfully, as bleak as Roy’s film often is it does imply that change can occur even in the darkest of circumstances.
Lovers in the Blue Night is premiering this week at the Venice International Film Festival.
FILM: LOVERS IN THE BLUE NIGHT
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: ANUPARNA ROY
STARRING: PRITAM PILANIA, NEELIMA SHARMA, BHUSHAN SHIMPI
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
At the start of Lovers in the Blue Night, an announcement is being made on an outside shoreline about a coming storm that will lead to floods. Everyone, including refugees from Bangladesh, is asked to come inside. The storm is a metaphor for something which will change the lives of several people on the outskirts of Mumbai. It’s not an actual storm per se, but a personal and cultural shift. Writer/Director Anuparna Roy’s film is heavy and dark but also likely realistic for those experiencing similar circumstances making it potentially a tough sit.
Karim (Pritam Pilania) is a quiet Bengali man in India who makes a living creating and selling rat poison. He is married to Ameena (Neelima Sharma) who works for a phone sex line. These are, apparently, the only means they have to support each other. Soon though, Karim gets involved with a group of thieves who steal fairly large scale items from rich people’s homes. One of the leaders of this gang is Sukka, a loud, flashy man with blue streaks in his short mullet styled hair. Clearly, he stands out and these elements are what attracts Karim to him. They begin an affair while Ameena, aware that Karim isn’t interested in sex with her, begins a hook up with a co-worker, Omran (or Omi, the Hindu name he is given.)
Of course, none of this is easy and without a series of rough encounters and scrapes. Their relationships are the most interesting part of the film however and it takes a while for the narrative to get there. The first half of the story sets up their living and working conditions. The setting is very dark and grimy. Underhanded work takes place in clubs, the phone sex company, and the homes of those being robbed (whom we never really see.) It all makes for excessive exposition before the real heart of the story begins. This is a sad world for the Bengali refugees and speaks to larger problems associated with those seeking a better life. Clearly this isn’t it. Characters are lonely, lost, and seem to have few choices.
The queer identity exploration is a bit bumpy here too. There are quick shifts in characters’ allegiances that sadly feel like life before gay liberation in most western cultures of the world, suggesting things aren’t better everywhere. But Sukka, in particular, may be the most tragic figure. As “alive” as Karim believes him to be, he actually is pretty trapped himself by taking on a higher profile role with the gang. There are possibilities of hope for Karim and Ameena later but it’s not clear about Sukka.
There are a few bright spots in the film though, including a lovely score during the more intimate moments between the characters. The sea also provides some relief suggesting a wider open space for escape and freedom.
The question is whether the characters can truly experience being alive and free or if have they chosen to live in a sea of death. Thankfully, as bleak as Roy’s film often is it does imply that change can occur even in the darkest of circumstances.
Lovers in the Blue Night is premiering this week at the Venice International Film Festival.