To see Sudhir Mishra’s Afwaah (Rumour) is to feel young and hopeful again. In a nation of thali bangers, he is one of the few filmmakers left, making Hindi cinema with a conscience, who lets it rip while commenting on why today’s communal politics foretells doom. It’s also a cautionary tale for those playing with fire, on how “the revolution devours its children”. Above all, we are gobsmacked to see a film that openly critiques current political events get past the censors. After a number of independent filmmakers and stars have been hounded by right-wing powers and censorship, it is sudden oxygen to find political frankness in a Hindi film that holds up a mirror to society (other language cinemas do better).

Set in conservative Rajasthan, Nivedita (Bhumi Pednekar) is the daughter of the head of the right-wing Rashtriya Vikas Dal, and her fiancé is Vicky Bana (a poised Sumeet Vyas), the party’s political heir apparent. Bana’s provocative rally through a Muslim area leaves several dead, and a video of a Muslim butcher murdered by Bana’s goon, Chandan, goes viral. Outraged at Bana’s communal strategies, Nivedita runs away to avoid marrying him. When Bana’s goons hound her, she is rescued by Rahab Ahmed (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), whom she accidentally meets in the street. The US-returned Ahmed is on his way to meet his wife Nandita at a literature festival in Rajasthan. Bana hires a young Gen Z social media manager, who spins the story of feisty Nivedita ditching right-wing Bana, into a love jihad story about Ahmed and Nivedita eloping, and it goes viral. Now, right-wing goons state-wide are baying for their blood, leading to a terrific climax with a laugh-out loud moment concerning a “cattle truck” rumoured to be carrying beef.