Rehmat at Locarno: How Naseeruddin Shah and Gurvinder Singh Translate Village Tragedy into Competition Gold

Rehmat’s heartbreaking origins fuel its Locarno run

The Indian drama Rehmat arrived at the Locarno Film Festival under a cloud of real-life sorrow. The house that frames Rashid Ali’s ancestral home belongs to a family that lost a 19‑year‑old son to a drug overdose shortly after director Gurvinder Singh and his crew first stepped inside.

“The actual family that lives there lost their 19‑year‑old son after we met them for the first time,” Singh told Reuters.

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, who portrays the village elder, said the tragedy demanded a respectful lens. He added that stories born from genuine grief must reach global audiences, especially after the pandemic highlighted cinema’s role in collective healing. The film’s early festival buzz shows a ↑ 15% rise in ticket interest, according to Bloomberg. Critics note the raw authenticity could set a new benchmark for socially engaged cinema, while festival programmers argue the emotional weight may challenge conventional award criteria. As Rehmat vies for the top prize, its creators hope the narrative will inspire more filmmakers to confront uncomfortable realities.