Setu Bandhan: A weird, dusty, and honest look at old-school myth

Is it worth the time?

If you have any interest in where movies started, sure. If you need a plot that moves faster than a tectonic plate, you should probably skip this one. It’s for the history nerds, honestly.

People who like shiny, fast, modern stuff will probably hate it. It’s quiet, it’s scratchy, and the pacing is... well, it’s not exactly tight.

Watching the bridge get built

The whole movie is built around this giant bridge project. You can see the effort put into the sets, even if they look like they’re made of painted cardboard. There is this weird, charming sincerity to how they handle the scale of it all. It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in The Death Ray, but with way more sandals.

Gotiram and the rest of the cast are acting for the rafters. They have to, I guess, because there’s no sound to hide behind. Every gesture is huge. Every look is a *major* event.

• The special effects are just painted glass and double exposures.
• Some of the extras look like they’d rather be anywhere else.
• The lighting makes everyone look like they’re in a permanent, dusty fog.

There is a specific moment where a character stares into the middle distance, and it lasts for like, ten seconds too long. It’s awkward. I started checking my phone, then realized I was missing the point of the struggle. Or maybe I wasn't missing anything at all.

It’s not as polished as Alias Jimmy Valentine, but that’s the charm. It feels like a piece of theater that someone accidentally caught on film. It isn't trying to be deep, it's just trying to *show* you the story.

Sometimes the film frame jitters so much you feel like you’re on a boat. 🌊 Honestly, it adds to the whole 'ocean crossing' theme, even if it’s just bad preservation. I found myself focusing on the textures of the costumes more than the actual plot. Why are they so shiny? Who had time to polish that armor in a mythic wilderness?

Don't expect a masterpiece of narrative flow. Expect a long, weird, and strangely touching look at how people used to try and make magic happen with a hand-cranked camera. It’s imperfect, and that’s why I kind of liked it. 🎥