Dasgupta's visually rich feature focuses on the lives of Balram and Nemai, two station masters who while away their days on remote railway station, working together and sharing their passion for wrestling. Exploring the boundaries of Dosti - the Indian concept of close relationships between men - Dasgupta reveals an undercurrent of homoeroticism that resonates throughout the film. But this rural idyll is threatened when Balram unexpectly arrives back from a visit home with a new wife and the local priest becomes the target of an anti-Christian gang. Dasgupta has created a unique and mysterious world populated with Hindu folk dancers and a community of small people, and his influences appear to run from Fellini to photographer Diane Arbus. This is a stand-out example of contemporary Indian arthouse cinema, both ravishing and provocative to watch.

The Wrestlers - Schedule 2002

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