Kumar, a child prodigy of Indian classical music, was struck by tuberculosis. For years bedridden, unsure if he’d ever rise or sing again, he quietly gathered the sounds of nature, distant folk melodies, and life’s every vibration. After six years in bed, with only one lung spared, he writes, sings, and teaches again, giving voice to the six long years of silence and bridging the old and new with visionary insights.

A poetic reverie woven from sound and memory. Rhythm of a Flower tells the story of the legendary singer Kumar Gandharav, who, after tuberculosis ended his musical career, listens from his sickbed to the sounds of nature and reflects on his past. Birdsong, wind, and street melodies seep in, drawing the audience into a dreamlike world shaped by his memories. Repeated images, stillness, stark contrasts between monochrome and color, and scenes blending reality with fantasy convey that he still lives through music. Rhythm of a Flower is less a story than a poem: a quiet, profound tribute to an artist beautiful in both music and spirit. (Eugene Kim)