A Bold Debut That Explores Life’s Harsh Realities

Vimukt (In Search of the Sky) marks the sensitive directorial debut of Jitank Singh Gurjar, a filmmaker unafraid of delving into India’s forgotten villages and their silenced struggles. Premiered at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2025, the film is less about glamour and more about resilience against poverty, stigma, and faith. Gurjar positions his story in the heart of Madhya Pradesh, grounding it in a reality many overlook, giving a voice to families living on the margins.

The Story of Despair and Hope

At the centre of Vimukt is a poverty-stricken family, shouldering relentless hardships. Jasrath, played by Raghvendra Bhadoriya, works his frail body at a brick factory, forcing survival from sheer willpower despite failing health. His wife Vidya (Meghna Agarwal) holds their fractured home together. But the focus remains on their 26-year-old mentally unstable son Naaran, a role powerfully brought to life by Nikhil Yadav. Naaran’s existence becomes a living reminder of the ridicule his parents face from the community—society labels him, mocks him, and blames the couple’s misfortunes on imagined past-life sins.

Crushed under stigma, Vidya pins her hopes on faith. She convinces Jasrath to take Naaran to the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, believing that a holy dip in the river might bring them salvation. This journey transforms the film’s trajectory, merging individual struggle with the overwhelming landscape of faith.

The Mahakumbh as a Backdrop

Through the lens of cinematographer Shelly Sharma, the Mahakumbh sequences unfold like an ocean of belief. Vast crowds, chants, and the sacred sangam waters provide a striking contrast to the family’s muted suffering. Vimukt captures not just the grandeur of the gathering but its human stories, placing Naaran and his parents amid hundreds of others searching for answers through faith. The result is an extraordinary canvas where intimate pain collides with collective devotion.

Performances That Anchor the Narrative

The film’s emotional weight rests heavily on Nikhil Yadav’s shoulders, and he carries it with remarkable grace. His portrayal of Naaran is heartbreaking yet deeply authentic, never reducing the character to caricature or pity. Instead, Yadav imbues him with vulnerability, innocence, and a raw honesty that lingers long after the film ends. Both Bhadoriya and Meghna Agarwal deliver strong performances that accentuate the suffocating struggles of a family conditioned to suffer yet unable to extinguish hope.

Strengths and Shortcomings

While Vimukt effectively portrays the suffocating grip of stigma and the fragile lure of faith, it occasionally lingers too long on the Mahakumbh visuals. At times, the spectacle overshadows the simmering core of the narrative, making one wonder whether the film embraces faith too easily rather than challenging its contradictions. Yet, it remains a deeply moving piece of cinema, one that prefers subtlety over overt dramatisation.

Vimukt is not just a film—it is a haunting reflection on survival, belief, and empathy. Jitank Singh Gurjar handles his debut feature with care, while Nikhil Yadav emerges as its sharpest strength, embodying the vulnerability of those we often forget. The film leaves viewers with more questions than answers, but also with a renewed sense of compassion for lives lived on the margins.

A poignant reminder that survival is sometimes the greatest act of resistance, Vimukt deserves to be seen, discussed, and remembered.

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