Cactus Pears

3/1/2026

When you know something is “right” for you, it’s difficult to deny it, even when faced with societal pressures to the contrary. It’s a circumstance that same-sex couples in particular have been well acquainted with for a long time. And, even though prevailing conditions have significantly improved in many quarters in recent years, there are still some notably conservative locales where freely living one’s truth can be exceedingly challenging. Which is why it’s truly groundbreaking when a film from one of those conventionally minded enclaves comes along to shake up the status quo and leave a lasting impact. Such is the case for the debut feature from writer-director Rohan Kanawade, a truly pioneering work of LGBTQ+ cinema from India, a culture not particularly known for its open-mindedness