THE STORY – In 1977, PK, a 23-year-old Delhi street artist from a poor, ‘untouchable’ family, picked up a handful of paintbrushes and a second-hand bicycle and set off on a 7000-mile cross-continent mission – to find Lotta, the woman who had captured his heart.
THE CAST – PK Mahanandia
THE TEAM – Orlando von Einsiedel (Director)
THE RUNNING TIME – 98 Minutes
Some of the most memorable documentaries use recreations to blur the line between fact and fiction. Done well, they heighten the emotional impact of the story without sacrificing truth or authenticity. One such documentary, “The Cycle of Love,” employs gorgeously filmed recreations to immerse viewers in an epic love story that spans continents and decades. It is a moving and deeply romantic film about destiny, connection, and the journey that binds them.
From Academy Award-winning director Orlando von Einsiedel (“Virunga” & “The White Helmets”), “The Cycle of Love” follows the extraordinary life of PK Mahanandia, an Indian man reflecting on his search for true love. Born a Dalit, or “untouchable” in India’s caste system, PK recalls concealing his caste to survive, eventually making a living as a street portrait artist. In 1977, his life changed forever when he met Lotta, a young Swedish tourist, for whom he drew a portrait. The two quickly fall in love during her brief time in India, and when she returns home, PK vows to find her again. With just $80 and a bicycle, he sets out on an almost unimaginable journey from India to Sweden to reunite with her.
Since none of this was filmed in 1977, Einsiedel relies heavily on recreations. Yet these scenes are far more cinematic than the typical slow-motion filler often found in many documentaries. Here, they are fully realized and scripted, depicting PK’s daily life as an artist and his extraordinary trek across countries. Played with warmth and conviction by Chirag Benedict Lobo as PK and Mina Dale as Lotta, the love story takes on real depth and texture. The chemistry between them makes the journey feel alive, while the 1970s aesthetic, complete with handheld camerawork and deep film grain, gives the sequences the feeling of genuine archival footage. At times, the film even cuts to the real, older PK observing these moments from the background, a profoundly moving reminder of the personal history being relived before our eyes.
Between PK’s voice, the recreations, and the sweeping landscapes of his journey, “The Cycle of Love” easily draws viewers into this world. Along the way, the film introduces colorful strangers who shape his path, including a kind man who offers to buy him a ticket to Kabul, a roadside rescue of a woman from a car crash, and a lively group of hippies who help him search through bags of mail for a lost letter from Lotta. Each encounter reflects PK’s relentless search for connection and his determination to overcome the societal barriers that stand in his way. At times, the film juggles a bit too much as it cuts between present-day interviews, recreations of the journey, and flashbacks to his early days with Lotta, but these moments are minor within such an engrossing story.
As PK’s devotion deepens, so too does the viewer’s investment in his odyssey. Though we may sense where the story is heading, the structure maintains a quiet suspense, making us wonder whether this is the tale of a lost love or the beginning of a lifelong bond. Ultimately, “The Cycle of Love” stands as one of the most romantic documentaries in years, an inspiring true story of resilience, destiny, and the extraordinary lengths one man went to for the love of his life.
