In Strong Son, Harvey (Mandeep Sodh) is a South Asian bodybuilder caught between the real world and his father’s beliefs. Harvey’s training has always been tainted by the standards of a parent who feels that the meaning of masculinity stems from strength. But after moving back in with his aging dad to become his primary caregiver, he struggles to maintain the balance of his physical and mental health, inching him ever closer to an emotional breakdown.
Taking the viewer into the gym (and, later, the world of wrestling), director Ian Bawa’s film cracks open the relationship between masculinity and violence, exposing the frailties of old stereotypes that can be passed down between generations. However, what’s almost unexpected is the way that Strong Son draws in the viewer with pervasive silence. At all times, Sodh handles himself with a quiet fury. With minimal dialogue, he demonstrates the rupture in Harvey’s soul through facial expression and endless tears. In every scene, he appears to be holding on to his façade with the fiercest of grips.
And that emotional tension lies at the core of Bawa’s feature. Harvey is presented as a man who desperately wants to live up to his father’s expectations. Taught that strength equals popularity, Harvey’s relationship with his dad is predicated upon harsh masculinity. To Harvey’s father, being a man means being tough.
But Harvey simply isn’t built that way. And the added pressure to create this image for the world is wearing him down.
However, while Harvey feels emotionally adrift, Bawa ensures that there are people within his main character’s orbit who understand the complexities of mental health. Even so, whether or not he’s willing to make use of those opportunities to share his insecurities with another person is another thing entirely. For Harvey, the idea of speaking about his feelings has been taught as a sign of weakness. And breaking down those barriers is a battle tougher than any wrestling match.
Strong Son is playing at TIFF ’26. For more information, click here.
