Metacritic, which uses a
weighted average, assigned the film a score of 85 out of 100, based on 9 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Wendy Ide of
Screen Daily reviewed, "
Cactus Pears is a subdued, sensitive study of bereavement and the quietly radical act of being queer in a rural, lower-class Indian community."
IndieWire's Ritesh Mehra wrote that the film "is commendable in how it demonstrates the unique silent pains borne by many queer men who, despite their male privilege, have to fight to remain unattached (same sex marriage is illegal in India), to not be infantilized, and to realize relationships longer lasting than quick clandestine sex." Tatsam Mukherjee at
The Wire remarked "Kanawade’s film goes full monty, by addressing queer folks in Indian villages – places often even without the vocabulary for it. But it steers clear of the hostility and venom one might expect to arise from such a situation.
Sabar Bonda, in fact, goes in the other direction by shining a light on the cowardice of society – especially while facing someone who owns their sexual identity." The film won the Audience Award for narrative features, and Bhushaan Manoj won the award for Best Performance, at the 2025
Inside Out Film and Video Festival. == References ==