Nirbaak
A daring Bengali surrealist romance turns Kolkata and four radically different lives into vessels for love that resists language.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- surreal
- poignant
- provocative
- arthouse film night
- cinephile viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Nirbaak as an ambitious, distinctive experiment praised for its symbolism, performances, and minimalist direction, though its abstraction can make it difficult to interpret.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film is explicitly framed as a tribute to Salvador Dalí and builds its love story through symbolism and unusual metaphors.
Kolkata, described as the city of joy, is treated as a separate character within the film.
The central premise presents love as unsaid and communicates it through silence, symbolism, and disparate lives.
The narcissist, dog, nymphomaniac, and woman are linked by love despite their radically different identities and experiences.
Films like Nirbaak, and why
The Shape of Water
surreal romance, symbolic imagery, and emotionally elusive storytelling
The Lobster
dreamlike atmosphere, unconventional love, and heightened visual metaphor
Holy Motors
experimental structure, uncanny imagery, and psychologically charged relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- Srijit Mukherji
- Release Date
- 2015-05-01
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (3)
Cast
- Anjan Dutt
- Jisshu Sengupta
- Ritwick Chakraborty
- Sushmita Sen
- Biswajit Chakraborty
- Srijit Mukherji
- Anindya Pulak Banerjee
- Ananya Sen
- Supratim Sinha
- Chi Chi
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hoichoi
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Nirbaak about?
- A daring Bengali surrealist romance turns Kolkata and four radically different lives into vessels for love that resists language.
- What is Nirbaak like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Nirbaak as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Nirbaak violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Nirbaak.
- What did critics think of Nirbaak?
- Critics broadly regard Nirbaak as an ambitious, distinctive experiment praised for its symbolism, performances, and minimalist direction, though its abstraction can make it difficult to interpret.
- Which films are like Nirbaak?
- Films with a similar feel include The Shape of Water, The Lobster, and Holy Motors.
- How long is Nirbaak?
- Nirbaak runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Nirbaak?
- In United States, Nirbaak streams on Hoichoi.
