Director Anubhav Sinha’s Bheed—out now on Netflix in a badly mangled form—attempts to condense India’s pandemic experience into one location and a handful of characters.

We discuss the filmmaker’s tendency to use his characters as a mouthpiece, his decision to present this movie in black and white, and his use of symbolism to capture the pandemic experience.

We also list down the troubling cuts imposed upon the film by the CBFC, and what precedent this sets for the future.

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