Anjali Patil

Unveiling the harsh reality of substance use in Thunder Bay, Ontario, this universally themed documentary, told through personal narratives and expert insights, exposes a lack of resources while aiming to shatter stigmas and ignite compassion for those grappling with addiction.

Set in Mumbai, Kaala is a crime drama, which showcases the story of a man from Tirunelveli, who migrates to Mumbai, and eventually emerges as a virtuous gangster in the Dharavi slums. Director Pa. Ranjith also highlights the sufferings of Tamil migrants in Mumbai who are often victims of discrimination.

The story is interspersed with images of a competition between a prince and a poor horse-riding warrior, for the hand of a Princess. The battle is an archery competition in which the suitors have to hit an artificial bird in the sky, while riding on horseback and the bird moving in unpredictable patterns due to explosive driven Thrust. The poor warrior slits the prince's arrow in half and hits the target. The Prince tries to throw the warrior off his horseback, but the warrior is skilled and recovers in time. The riders must now take possession of a jeweled spear, while surviving a barrage of fire balls fired at them from the sky. The warrior is a skilled horse rider and expertly navigates through the hazard to take the jewel. The warrior wins the competition and presents himself as a suitor to the Princess. The prince attacks the warrior, and the warrior is ready to retaliate. The Princess distracts the warrior as she does not bloodshed and indicates for him to leave. The Princess is betrothed to the prince. She knows that this is a political alliance more than a marriage. The Princess goes secretly to meet the warrior. The Princess has a dream of being attacked by the prince and his army and the warrior shooting at them. The Princess doesn't want bloodshed and breaks the warrior's arrows while he sleeps. When the Prince attacks, the warrior has one arrow left and kills the prince with it and is killed since he has no more arrows to defend himself. The Princess kills herself as well. Adil Mirzya (Harshvardhan Kapoor) is a horse groomsman who reconnects with his childhood friend Suchitra (Saiyami Kher), the daughter of a Police Commissioner (Art Malik). It is implied that Adil and Suchitra used to study together in childhood & were close to each other. Adil and Suchitra are in the same class. Adil had a crush on Suchitra, and he used to carry her bag to school. One day, Adil/Mohnish is late to school as he brings some berries for Suchitra and consequently misses the school bus. Adil enters the class in the middle of the period. The teacher notices this and asks Adil for his homework. Suchitra gives Adil her notebook to show to the teacher. Then the teacher asks for Suchitra's notebook, and she has to admit that she did not complete her homework. The teacher punished Suchitra (by hitting her hand with a cane) for something that Adil did. Suchitra covered for him and took the punishment. In retaliation, Adil shoots the teacher after stealing the gun from Suchitra's father. He is jailed in juvenile detention, but later escapes and goes to meet Suchitra, but by then Suchitra is made to shift towns by her parents. Suchitra's father sends her away to London for higher studies. Abba (Om Puri) is the blacksmith of the town, who live with his daughter Zeenat (Sathya Bg). Adil was adopted by Abba when he escaped from Juvenile prison and hence, he considers Zeenat his sister. But Zeenat secretly has a crush on Adil. It was Abba who taught Adil to work with horses and to care for them. Karan (Anuj Choudhry) is a successful businessman and belongs to a royal family. Suchitra's dad is the police commissioner of the area and is planning to get Suchitra engaged to Karan. Suchitra and Karan are very much in love. Unknown to Suchitra, Adil has been tracking her and gets a job in Karan's stable farm. Suchi first notices Adil at a polo match, which he wins against Karan. Adil spends time with Suchitra when she expresses a desire to learn horse riding and Adil is given the responsibility. To hide his identity Adil says that he never went to school, and he learned a little of English while working at the stables. Adil and Suchi spend a lot of time together at the stables with each other. As Suchitra gets to be friends with Adil, she talks about her classmate whom she remembers fondly. That's when Suchitra realizes that Adil is her classmate and her childhood friend. Suchi is angry with Adil for abandoning her in childhood. To spite him, she gets engaged to Karan. But then, has longing for Mirzya and comes to the stable at night and has sex with him. In a night safari, Suchi is attacked by a leopard. Adil risks his life to save both Suchi and Karan (who is knocked unconscious in the attack). Adil approaches Suchi's dad and reveals that he is the boy who studied with Suchi in school & killed the teacher. He asks for Suchi's hand in marriage, but Suchi's father kicks him out of the house. When Karan comes to know, he takes Adil for a night safari, shoots him & then leaves him for dead as he watches a leopard approach the injured Adil. Suchitra's father forces her to agree to the wedding, threatening that he would kill himself otherwise. On the day of her wedding to Karan, Suchi escapes from the house (after receiving a message from Adil via Zeenat) & runs away on a bike with Adil, who is alive. They share a few moments of love and freedom on their desert ride. Since Zeenat knows Adil does not love her, she slits her wrists in Suchitra's room after she leaves. Zeenat knew that if she gets caught, she will have to reveal her friends' whereabouts. Suchitra's dad initiates a police search. Eventually they are located, and Karan and Suchi's father follow their trail. Meanwhile Adil's bike runs out of fuel in the middle of the desert. At night, knowing they are being pursued, Suchi realizes that Adil has a gun and intends to shoot their pursuers, which will include Karan and Suchi's father. When Adil nods off, she empties his gun. The next morning, they are attacked. Adil manages to kill Karan with the one bullet he has left. He is shot & killed by Suchi's dad. Suchi commits suicide.