T50 at 04:20, 16 September 2023

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{{short description|2023 Indian drama film}}
{{Use dmy dates}}
{{Use Indian English}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Agra
| image = Agra (2023 film) poster.jpg
| caption = Official poster
| director = [[Kanu Behl]]
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* Vikram Mehra
* Siddarth Anand Kumar
* William Jéhannin
* Kanu Behl}}
| writer = {{Plainlist|
* Atika Chohan
* Kanu Behl}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* Mohit Agarwal
* [[Priyanka Bose]]
* [[Rahul Roy]]
* [[Vibha Chibber]]}}
| music = Karan Gour
| cinematography = Saurabh Monga
| editing = {{Plainlist|
* Samarth Dixit
* Nitesh Bhatia}}
| studio = {{Plainlist|
* [[Yoodlee Films|Saregama India Ltd]]
* [[UFO Moviez|UFO Production]]
* O28 Films
}}
| distributor = Les Films de l'Atalante
| released = {{film date|df=yes|2023|5|24|[[2023 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes]]}}
| country = India
| runtime = 132 minutes
| language = Hindi
}}

'''''Agra''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɑː|ɡ|r|ə}}, {{IPA-hns|ˈaːgraː|lang|Agra.ogg}}) is a 2023 Hindi-language Indian [[drama film]], co-written and directed by [[Kanu Behl]]. It features debutant Mohit Agarwal, [[Priyanka Bose]], [[Ruhani Sharma]], [[Vibha Chibber]], [[Sonal Jha]] and Aanchal Goswami in pivotal roles. The film follows Guru, a young single call center employee who still lives with his parents. Consumed by frustration, he plunges into a fever bordering on insanity, between pathetic fantasies, dating apps and hysterical self-harm.

"''Agra'' grasps the reality of patriarchy in India through the prism of male sexual misery,” is the description given in [[2023 Cannes Film Festival]] of the film, where it premiered in the [[Directors' Fortnight]] on 24 May 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/kanu-behls-agra-to-have-world-premiere-at-directors-fortnight-of-cannes-film-festival-8562919/lite/|title=Kanu Behl's Agra to have world premiere at Directors' Fortnight of Cannes Film Festival|work=The Indian Express |access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref>

==Cast==
* Mohit Agarwal as Guru
* [[Priyanka Bose]] as Priti
* [[Rahul Roy]] as daddy ji<ref>{{cite news|url=https://m.mid-day.com/articles/rahul-roy-heads-back-on-set-with-film-on-sexual-dynamics-within-a-family/21385022|title=Rahul Roy heads back on set with film on sexual dynamics within a family|newspaper=[[Mid-Day]]|access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref>
* [[Ruhani Sharma]] as Mala<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/entertainment/tollywood/220619/ruhani-sharma-goes-north.html |title=Ruhani Sharma goes North |author=Sashidhar Adivi|website=Deccan Chronicle |access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref>
* [[Vibha Chibber]] as mummy ji
* [[Sonal Jha]] as Aunty ji
* Aanchal Goswami as Chhavi

==Production==

In November 2022, the film was selected for India’s Film Bazaar strand, which is a part of Film Bazaar, the South Asia film project market operated by India’s National Film Development Corporation.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/news/film-bazaar-india-2022-selections-1235430958/|title= ‘Agra,’ ‘Joram,’ ‘Sultana’s Dream’ Among Projects Selected for India’s Film Bazaar Sidebars |last= Ramachandran |first= Naman |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date= 15 September 2023}}</ref>

''Agra'' was filmed in June and July 2019. In 2020, when the film was in the middle of post production, It was held up for five months due to COVID-19 pandemic. It was shot on location in [[Agra]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/sexual-repression-india-agra-taj-mahal-kanu-behl-cannes-1235622599/ |title= Sexual Repression in India and an ‘Agra’ Without Taj Mahal: Kanu Behl on Cannes Directors’ Fortnight Selection |last= Ramachandran |first= Naman |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date= 15 September 2023}}</ref>

==Release==

The film premiered at [[2023 Cannes Film Festival]] in Directors' Fortnight on 24 May 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last=Goodfellow |first=Melanie |title=Cannes Directors' Fortnight Unveils 2023 Line-Up: Michel Gondry, Hong Sangsoo, 'Good Time' DoP Sean Price Williams Make Cut – Full List & Film Details |url=https://deadline.com/2023/04/cannes-directors-fortnight-2023-line-up-2-1235329293/ |access-date=15 September 2023 |work=Deadline Hollywood}}</ref><ref name="can:prod">{{Cite web |title=Selection 2023 |url=https://www.quinzaine-cineastes.fr/en/selection/2023 |access-date=15 September 2023 |website=Quinzaine des cinéastes |language=en}}</ref>

In August 2023, it was selected at 2023 [[Indian Film Festival of Melbourne]], where it won the Best Indie Film award and Best Performance in Film (male) award for Mohit Agarwal.<ref name="ht:rel">{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/iffm-2023-full-winners-list-shah-rukh-khan-pathaan-rani-mukerji-sita-ramam-101691758168992.html|title=IFFM 2023 full winners list: Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan, Rani Mukerji, Sita Ramam win top honours|website=Hindustan Times|access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref>

It will also be screened at the [[28th Busan International Film Festival|BIFF]] in 'A Window on Asian Cinema' in October 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.biff.kr/eng/html/program/prog_all_list.asp?allYear=2023 |title= The 28th Busan International Film Festival: Selection List |website=Busan International Film Festival|access-date=September 15, 2023|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timesofindia.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/karan-johars-rocky-aur-rani-kii-prem-kahaani-headed-to-busan-film-festival/articleshow/103395151.cms |title= Karan Johar's 'Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani' headed to Busan Film Festival|website= Times of India |access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref>

==Reception==

On the review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]] website, the film has an approval rating of 100% based on 7 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10.<ref name="score:rotten">{{cite Rotten Tomatoes |title= Agra (2023, Drama) |id= agra_2023 |type=m |access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref>

''Agra'' which had its world premiere in the [[Directors’ Fortnight]] section of the [[76th Cannes Film Festival]] received a 5-minute standing ovation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/agra-premieres-at-cannes-has-5-minute-standing-ovation-at-directors-fortnight-101685004947995.html|title=Kanu Behl’s Agra premieres at Cannes, gets 5-minute standing ovation at Directors’ Fortnight |website=Hindustan Times|access-date=15 September 2023}}</ref>

Fabien Lemercier reviewing for [[Cineuropa]] praised the film and wrote, "A hard-hitting and audacious film that will leave no one indifferent and that only a formally talented filmmaker like Kanu Behl could bring to a safe harbour beyond its ambient darkness."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/442951/ |title= Cannes 2023: Directors’ Fortnight Review: Agra|first= Fabien |last= Lemercier |access-date=15 September 2023 |website= Cineuropa |language=en}}</ref> Namrata Joshi for [[ScreenDaily]] wrote in review that in the film "The characters are developed well and have complexity to them, and the terrific ensemble cast elevates the film; particularly Bose, Agarwal and Roy..."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/agra-cannes-review/5182369.article |title=‘Agra’: Cannes Review|first= Namrata |last= Joshi |access-date=15 September 2023 |website=[[ScreenDaily]]|language=en}}</ref>

[[Shubhra Gupta]] of ''[[The Indian Express]]'' gave a positive review and described it as "a triumphal return to Cannes".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-others/express-at-cannes-anurag-kashyap-kanu-bahl-chart-triumphal-returns-8628499/ |author=Gupta, Shubhra |author-link=Shubhra Gupta |title= Express at Cannes: Anurag Kashyap, Kanu Bahl chart triumphal returns |website=[[The Indian Express]] |access-date= 15 September 2023 |language=en}}</ref> [[Anna M. M. Vetticad]] wrote on ''Himal Southasian'': "Agra is an unsettling reminder of why society should study the victim-turned-victimiser phenomenon, the heterogeneity of evil and persecution, if we wish to combat the self-destructive nature of patriarchy." Vetticad added, "The optimistic view is that just as 'life finds a way', to quote Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, so too good cinema will find its audience."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.himalmag.com/agra-kanu-behl-film-grim-portrait-sexual-violence-repressed-indian-man/|author=Vetticad, A.M.M. |author-link=Anna M. M. Vetticad |title=In ‘Agra’, a grim portrait of the repressed Indian man |website= Himal Southasian |access-date=15 September 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

==Accolades==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+ Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee(s) of the award, and the result of the nomination
! scope="col" | Award ceremony 
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Category 
! scope="col" | Nominee / Work
! scope="col" | Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}}
|-
! rowspan="2" scope="row" | [[Indian Film Festival of Melbourne]]
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" |[[Indian Film Festival of Melbourne#2023|2023]]
| Best Indie Film
| ''Agra''
| {{won}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center | <ref name="ht:rel"/>
|-
| Best Performance in Film (male)
| Mohit Agarwal
| {{won}}
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Rotten tomatoes}}
* [https://www.quinzaine-cineastes.fr/en/film/agra ''Agra''] at Quinzaine des cinéastes

[[Category:2023 films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Agra]]
[[Category:Indian drama films]]
[[Category:2020s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:2023 drama films]]
[[Category:Hindi-language drama films]]
[[Category:Film productions suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic]]

Agra (2023 film) - Revision history

T50 at 04:20, 16 September 2023