Wikipedia translates the title Kadvi Hawa as Bitter Wind. I propose that it should be Ill Wind. “Something bad that happens and makes you think other bad things will happen.”
I had seen a trailer a couple of weeks ago when I had gone to see another film, and was intrigued by the performance of Sanjay Mishra, a character actor who usually plays supporting roles with elan.
In this, the story revolves around him and to that extent he is the lead player. And as can be expected, delivers a powerful performance as a blind and marginal farmer in a desolate area of India. Ranvir Shorey plays a remarkable supporting role as a debt collector. One more amazing but subdued performance from Konkona Sen Sharma rounds off the contributors, bar one more minor role from Bhupesh Singh which is inconsequential.
The director has been able to get some tremendous performances from a talented cast and the photography of the locale, the bad lands of the Chambal Valley in Rajasthan is breath taking.
With all this to support it and a very topical theme of Climate Change, the film should attract crowds. It does not and even I will not advice my readers to see it unless there is nothing else to do on an afternoon. The story line simply does not support such talent.