Chess is a popular pastime in this neighbourhood, with roadside games bringing together men, to challenge each other in friendly and sometimes unfriendly matches. But for some, the pawns include morality and religion causing tensions to erupt when a tournament gets underway.

The game of chess serves as a sharp sociopolitical metaphor in this captivating indie. Told through the intertwined stories of three women—a former journalist, a house help, and a janitor— Turup offers a profound commentary on the havoc religion, caste, and class can wreak in women’s lives.