National Award-winning filmmaker Vinod Kapri's film Pyre will release theatrically across India on October 23.

Set in a remote village in the Kumaon Himalayas, the film follows ageing couple Padam and Tulsi, whose lives revolve around their home and memories as they quietly wait for their children, who moved away in search of better opportunities. It explores how migration changes the bond between parents and children.

Kapri cast two real Uttarakhand villagers making their screen debuts. Padam Singh Kapri, 80, a retired Army man, plays Padam, while Heera Devi, 70, a widow, homemaker and former dancer, plays Tulsi. Neither had faced a camera before. The film is produced by Vinod Kapri, Suresh Joshi and Arindra Rai Chaudhuri.

The soundtrack pairs Oscar-winning composer Mychael Danna with legendary lyricist Gulzar. Pyre premiered at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, where it won the audience award for best film, and has since screened at festivals in Sao Paulo, Cambridge and Kerala.