The Cloud Door

In January 1995, The Cloud Door was screened once for the public at the International Film Festival of India in Mumbai as part of the Erotic Tales program. Kaul, known for his aesthetic work, had never previously made an Indian erotic film, despite the country's rich history of erotic folk art and literature. The single-screening of the film caused an uproar due to its erotic nature and on-screen nudity, and resulted in the police being called in to prevent rioting.^[3] An extra screening, exclusively for the press, was held later at a different venue.^[3] The film was also screened at the Munich Film Festival, Locarno International Film Festival, New York Film Festival and the Robert Flaherty Film Seminar.^[4]

Variety reviewer Todd McCarty said the film "features pictorial beauty, slow-building sensuality and surprising humor that combine to rich effect".^[5] The reviewer for the New York Times said that the film, when viewed with subtitles and deprived of its cultural context of Muslim and Hindu literature, "becomes a succession of brightly colored images that almost tell a story: a beautiful woman, perhaps a courtesan; a green, long-tailed parrot who repeats the erotic phrases he's picked up in her room; potential lovers; a fish that laughs".^[1] Another review observed that The Cloud Door has plenty of humorous and sensual imagery and flows like a folk tale.^[6] Beautiful nothingness perhaps, but still nothingness. Certainly, the actors here are very attractive, and the costumes and sets are gorgeous, but the story has very few memorable moments to make this film memorable.

• The Cloud Door at IMDb