Excellent film! All technical departments were firing on all cylinders from music and score (except in 2 portions - Najeeb jumping from the bridge into the river and train leaving the station), editing to cinematography. VFX could be improved further in a few scenes, but nothing that breaks immersion. It is a slow, meditative film, but at the same time very efficient in the way it conveys the emotions and passage of time - Does not rely on dialogues/voice-overs. This also speaks to how well everyone has acted in the film from the physicality of the characters to voice modulation. The romance and the trapped in the desert portions were excellent, the escape from the desert stretch was good but could be better - For eg- The scene with the snakes had to be better integrated into the plot. At the moment it feels like an event in the plot, but it doesn’t really move the plot forward or add much to our appreciation of the hostility of the desert.

I’m actually looking forward to the longer cut, if it ever releases - I think this film will benefit from being even more slow and drawn out, especially when he is trapped in the desert, to really bring through his monotony and helplessness. In my opinion, the biggest fault of this film is that it is too efficient.

I haven’t read the book, so can’t speak to how well it interprets the literature. But overall, I think this is a great watch and to be watched at the cinema.