Pupa

drowns in its own existential metaphors. While it strives to capture the spiritual and gritty contrasts of Varanasi, the film often feels like a student project stretched far beyond its capacity. Conceived as a slow‑burn study of transformation—symbolized by the “pupa” stage of a butterfly—it follows lost souls colliding as they attempt to break free from their mental cocoons. Rajkumar Bhaskaran deserves credit for capturing the haunting, narrow lanes of Kashi. The visual contrast between the claustrophobic interiors of the brothel and the vast openness of the Ganga provides occasional relief. Yet the dialogues feel artificial and overly “written,” lacking the rawness of real voices in distress. The brothel setting itself comes across more like a stylized backdrop for a photoshoot than a lived‑in environment. The tension promised in the synopsis never fully materializes, leaving the middle act hollow and directionless. Pupa is a film that aspires to profundity but ends up feeling pretentious. It has the soul of a short film but the runtime of a feature, resulting in an experience that resembles a beautiful yet empty postcard from Varanasi.