FOLLOWER

2023 / 100 min / color

Raghu is an outsider. He works as a journalist for a controversial, radical website in Belgaum, South India. The low pay doesn’t bother him — the sense of purpose he gets from his work is more important to him. The pieces he publishes are rather dubious, especially those directed at bringing down his enemies. Raghu seems to be the type of journalist who’ll stop at nothing to achieve his aims, which can lead to tragic consequences. In this nuanced tale of growing frustration and misunderstanding, Indian director Harshad Nalawade explores the reasons behind Raghu’s increasing radicalization, but also shows him from a different angle, depicting his unlikely friendships with upper-class YouTuber Sachin and single Muslim mother Parveen. A social-issues drama is layered into a story about the realities of new media. Follower shows how the Internet is a place where there’s practically no policing, where it’s much too easy to write something harmful with absolutely no regard for the consequences.