3rd i’s Saturday Night at the Castro!!
(Leena Yadav, India/US/UK, 2015, 116mins) Parched takes the riot of Bollywood and infuses it with an indie vision in this warm and incisive film that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year. Leena Yadav examines the complex lived experiences of women in India through the strident lens of “sex in the village” and produces a film that is raucously full of girl power.

Thirty-something Rani is a widower consumed with the task of marrying off her mean-spirited son. Meanwhile, Rani’s feisty best friend Lajjo contends with her alcoholic husband, and a third friend, Bijili, is demonized for being an exotic dancer and sex worker.

Through unexpected twists and turns, these adventurous friends must rely on each other before they can escape their harsh realities, and ride into the sunset. With vivid performances and musical interludes, and the sultry Rajasthani landscape as the backdrop, Parched has the spirit of rebellion at its heart!