‘Airlift’ Director Raja Krishna Menon Backs Coming-of-Age Drama ‘Harbir’ at Film Bazaar

variety.com:

Naman Ramachandran Raja Krishna Menon‘s Bandra West Pictures is producing “Harbir,” the debut feature from Angad Bawa. It is being presented at Film Bazaar in Goa.

The film follows Harbir, a 15-year-old Sikh boy who is scouted for an admission trial at Mumbai’s prestigious Bombay International School of Swimming.

During the trial, concerns are raised about his long hair, requiring parental consent for a possible haircut. As the boy grapples with this decision, he faces opposition from his family and the larger Sikh community, who view his potential choice as a betrayal of faith and identity.

The project draws from Bawa’s personal experiences as a competitive swimmer navigating his Sikh identity. “Through Harbir, I want to offer an alternative narrative that doesn’t push an ideology, but instead explores the internal struggle of a character navigating societal expectations and their right to make a free, personal choice,” Bawa told Variety.