The Stranger

Where to Watch

Criterion Channel

Overview

In rural Bangladesh, young Kajal struggles with their gender identity while living with their mother Kohinoor and terminally ill grandmother. The sudden return of Kajal’s long-absent father, Javed, disrupts the fragile household, creating conflict between him and Kohinoor. Tensions deepen as Javed disapproves of Kajal’s cross-dressing and demands they be sent to boarding school, prompting Kajal to run away. Found ill but later recovering, Kajal learns Javed has left again, leaving only a bicycle as a parting gift. With their grandmother near death and their mother overwhelmed, Kajal defiantly pedals through the open fields wearing red lipstick—embracing a new chapter of self-discovery.