October, the 10th month of the year, rests gently between warmth and winter, sunshine and mist. Falling in late autumn across the subcontinent, it carries the promise of winter ahead, calming the atmosphere with soothing floral breezes.
Since 2018, the month resonates with acclaimed Indian-Bengali director Shoojit Sircar’s ‘October’, a modern classic about love that lingers in silence. It felt unlike anything Bollywood was offering at the time.
Written by Juhi Chaturvedi, the film moves at the pace of life itself: slow, uncertain and tender; unfolding like a whisper that lingers long after the story ends. At the box office, it was hardly a success; yet every October, social media fills with its stills, lines and moments. The question remains: Why does this quiet film still feel so alive, so personal?
As this year’s October draws to a close, it’s worth revisiting what made this particular film so magical.
Set in the muted corridors of a Delhi hotel, October follows Dan (Varun Dhawan), a restless trainee whose life changes when his colleague Shiuli (Banita Sandhu) falls into a coma after an accident. Just before falling, her last words were, “Where is Dan?”, a question that pierces his heart and transforms his being. The story turns into a journey of silent devotion and awakening.
At a time when Hindi cinema thrives on spectacle and excess with electrifying songs-dances and conventional hero–heroine moments, October dared to remain true to its silent yet empathetic core. Shoojit Sircar, who has always explored the subtleties of human emotion in films such as ‘Piku’ and ‘Vicky Donor’, crafted here a work that speaks through quietness.
Despite being a Hindi film, October felt unmistakably Bengali, as Director Shoojit Sircar, cinematographer Avik Mukhopadhyay and composer Shantanu Moitra infused it with the serenity of Bengal. There have been other films titled October around the world, including Sergei Eisenstein’s 1928 Soviet silent epic ‘October: Ten Days That Shook the World’ and ‘October’ (2010, Peru) by Daniel and Diego Vega; yet Sircar’s October stands apart for its intimate soulfulness.
The story was inspired by Sircar’s own experience of spending long days beside his ailing mother in hospital: an experience of helplessness, waiting and love without words. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the film found renewed relevance as countless people across the world lived through similar hope, loss and memories.
Varun Dhawan delivered what many consider his finest performance, stepping away from his commercial image to offer a portrayal stripped of glamour and full of sincerity. Banita Sandhu, in her nearly wordless debut, embodied fragility and grace, portraying the name of Shiuli, the flower that blooms and fades in early autumn, became the perfect metaphor for the film’s fleeting yet profound emotion.
Amid the glitz and glamour of Bollywood, October was made to help audiences feel, to remind them that love does not always need to be shouted aloud, that care and affection can exist without reward and that sometimes silence speaks louder than any confession.
