The future is here. India has just sent its first spacecraft to the moon, and the placid city of Mysore is gearing up for its own global recognition with the construction of HeritageLand – Asia’s largest theme park. As government officials make plans for the expected tourism extravaganza, Mysore’s many residents find themselves swept up in the ferment. The Smoke is Rising is a riveting portrait of a city hurtling toward an epic clash of modernity and tradition, and all the wandering souls – some hopeful, some broken, and a few somewhere in between – who find themselves caught in the middle.