A Running River is All Legs

The film is a meditation on the act of walking through the lives of three principal characters: Kumar, a photojournalist disenchanted with his regular job, visits different places seeking new sources of inspiration; Neelu, a salesgirl in a shoe shop with a set routine, is only interested in watching people walk; and Amaresha, an elderly prisoner, alleviates his feelings of confinement by walking to imagined places within his cell. The camera follows the gaze of the characters, trained to different directions, in some cases the ground and in others the sky, experiencing how they relate to the world around them, the minute details they observe, and their sense of time and place. Moving between dream and reality, the film is an exploration of the inner and outer landscapes they encounter.

Directed by Babu Eshwar Prasad, A Running River is All Legs leans on a strong ensemble — B. V. Shrunga, M. N. Swamy — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2020.