India, Dec. 21 -- One of life's inevitable truths is that our parents will become old and they will pass away. It is a truth I am scared of, and do not want to think about at all. The affecting feature film Alaav, directed by Prabhash Chandra, made me sit with that reality with a lens so uncompromising and astute that I almost wanted to look away. It is a feature that blurs the line between documentary and fiction, telling the story of an old man caring for his 90-something-year-old mother all by himself. (Also read: Ebb movie review: A provocative film from Jeo Baby that takes aim at relationships and male hypocrisy)

The action unfolds largely in the absence of it, as Chandra firmly positions long sequences of Bhaveen Gossain taking car...