Varun Grover

Varun’s Breakthrough project is All India Rank.

Varun Grover’s love for film is a family tradition, passed on by his grandfather, father and uncle, who painted signs for films playing at their local cinema in Haryana. Varun began his career as a screenwriter for the Hindu-language independent film Masaan (2015), which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes and served as a writer and executive producer for the Netflix series Sacred Games (2018-2019).

His debut feature as a writer/director is All India Rank (2024), which closed the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2023, successfully opened in cinemas across India earlier this year and is now streaming on Netflix globally. A vibrant coming-of-age drama, the film follows a 17-year-old as he reluctantly preps for the Indian Institute of Technology’s highly competitive entrance exams. Using a mix of satire and social commentary, Varun’s innovative film explores such provocative themes as morality, familial aspirations, displacement and the absurdities of life.

Varun is currently developing his second feature, while also co-producing an anthology of short films.

In their own words…

“What we call humanity is actually a bunch of social contracts of decency and empathy weaved through stories. And what we call conscience is just the better parts of these stories resonating with us. I am privileged to be a small part of the global community of storytellers and artists who are frantically, but diligently, documenting the everyday history of this fascinating world. Selection for BAFTA Breakthrough has come to me exactly at the time I am looking to tell global stories of isolation and connections. I hope to meet fellow artists through this opportunity and share joys, pains, frustrations and, eventually, the sheer delight of being a creator in these times.”

Photo by Bharat Rawail.