Early Days (film)
| Early Days | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Priyankar Patra |
| Written by | Priyankar Patra |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Priyankar Patra |
| Edited by | Anupam Sinha Roy |
| Music by | Shibasish Banerjee |
Production companies |
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Release date |
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Running time | 102 minutes |
| Countries | India, Singapore |
| Language | Hindi |
Early Days is a 2025 debut romance-drama film directed by Priyankar Patra.[1] It had its world premiere in the New Visions Competition of the Red Sea International Film Festival.[2] The film explores relationships on the digital era and follows a couple in Mumbai, India whose love becomes intertwined with social media.[3]
Cast
- Manasi Kaushik as Preeti
- Sarthak Sharma as Samrat
Production
Patra stated in interviews that the first spark for the film came from his younger cousin who is a content creator.[4]
The film production started as a weekend experiment between four friends shot primarily with a handheld camcorder to give a voyeuristic closeness to the characters. This was contrasted with high definition videos shot on phones to display the life that's put out to the public.[5]
The production slowly evolved into a full-fledged international co-production with Singaporean company, Hazelnut Media coming onboard during the subsequent stages.[4][5]
Release
The first look teaser of the film was released by Variety ahead of the world premier at Red Sea International Film Festival.[6]
Critical Reception
Calling it an "elegant Mumbai-set debut," Screen Daily found that "Patra's script doesn't say anything new about culture and social media" but still noted "an authentic understanding of the ephemeral or diaphonous nature of influence and its appeal" while also lauding Manasi Kaushik and Sarthak Sharma's performances.[7]
Asian Movie Pulse noted some technical errors with the film, such as its audio issues and "exhausting" camerawork, but overall lauded its acting, style, and commentary. Asian Movie Pulse ends the review by calling it a film rooted in art house tradition and "it is difficult not to wonder how Patra might evolve with a larger budget at his disposal" [8] Outlook India gave the film three and a half stars out of five, and added Early Days is a "a deeply nuanced, delicate study of a relationship in churn, torn between projection and survival."[9]
The film also generated conversations online about influencer culture and its impact on personal relationships. Homegrown writes about how the film "draws a fascinating parallel between influencer culture and the informal economy — one that mirrors every other unstable hustle the underprivileged have taken on for decades to survive in cities like Mumbai".[10] Indigenous mentions how aspiration has become the currency for the content-economy and with the film has left the generation living in the internet "slightly unsettled" without passing any negative judgements on the characters.[11]
Accolades
| Event | Date of Ceremony | Award | Recipient | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Sea International Film Festival | 10 December 2025 | Film Alula Audience Award - International Film | Early Days | Nominated | [12] |
| New York Indian Film Festival | 28 May 2026 | Best Debut Film | Early Days | Nominated | [13] |
| Best Screenplay | Priyankar Patra | Nominated |
Festival Screenings
References
- ↑ "Indian film Early Days draws attention at Red Sea Film Festival". madhyamamonline.com. 12 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ↑ "Kol director's feature debut on influencers to compete at Red Sea film festival". The Times of India. 28 November 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (1 November 2025). "Influencer Culture Drama 'Early Days' Unveils First Teaser Ahead of Red Sea Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- 1 2 "Priyankar Patra's film Early Days earns festival recognition". t2online.in. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- 1 2 Kotzathanasis, Panos (11 December 2025). "Priyankar Patra and Team Explore Intimacy Influence and Modern Relationships". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ↑ Ramachandran, Naman (1 November 2025). "Influencer Culture Drama 'Early Days' Unveils First Teaser Ahead of Red Sea Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ↑ Kerr, Elizabeth. "'Early Days' review: Elegant Mumbai-set debut explores intrusive impact of social media". Screen. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ↑ Kotzathanasis, Panos (13 December 2025). "Early Days (2025) by Priyankar Patra Film Review". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ↑ "Early Days Review| Priyankar Patra's Perceptive Debut Scans A Relationship Shoehorned By Aspiration". Outlook India. 6 June 2026. Retrieved 8 June 2026.
- ↑ Bijolia, Disha (3 December 2025). "In 'Early Days', Influencer Culture Rewrites The Rules Of Love & Survival In Mumbai". Homegrown. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ↑ "The Economy of Aspiration: Priyankar Patra's 'Early Days' – Indigenous". Retrieved 19 March 2026.
- ↑ "The Yusr Awards 2025 – Red Sea Film". redseafilmfest.com. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- ↑ India, Team THR (16 April 2026). "New York Indian Film Festival 2026: 'Baksho Bondi,' 'Flowers of Acacia,' 'The Elysian Field' Lead Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter India. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- ↑ Early Days. Retrieved 21 July 2026 – via www.iffm.com.au.