Kiss movie review: Varun Grover’s ambitious directorial debut combats authoritarianism with empathy

Kiss movie review: Varun Grover’s ambitious directorial debut combats authoritarianism with empathy

Kiss movie review: Adarsh Gourav stars as a filmmaker caught in an ideological battle with censors in Varun Grover's 15-minute act of cinematic empathy, available on MUBI.

Review: Short Film ‘KISS’

There’s a moment in Varun Grover’s directorial debut short film, KISS, that feels like the entire country is holding its breath. On screen, two men kiss. It’s tender, soft, and sincere. But in the shadowy stillness of an old cinema hall, three people watching that kiss each see something different. One claims it lasted 28 seconds. Another insists it stretched to 2 minutes and 25 seconds. The third believes it lasted over three minutes. Time bend…