Absent

By Pickle November 24, 2024

India | Hindi, English | Drama, Thriller

Synopsis

Shikhar, a quiet and introverted boy, has spent years enduring relentless bullying, with his tormentors exploiting his vulnerabilities. His life takes a dramatic turn when Dev, a new student with a tough military school background, arrives at his school. Having grown up constantly relocating due to his father’s military postings every two years, Dev is no stranger to adapting quickly and dealing with bullies in his own way. For Shikhar, after years of being defenceless, the chance to form an alliance with Dev is something he can’t afford to pass up. Dev’s fists, after all, offer a far more immediate and tangible solution to his problems than the ideals of pacifism taught by his father, Naresh, a well-respected doctor known for his commitment to help others.

As Shikhar and Dev’s bond deepens, Shikhar begins to feel a newfound sense of confidence, something he had never experienced before. However, despite Naresh’s relentless efforts to instil the principles of non-violence and reason in his son, the harsh reality of adolescence proves that peaceful resolutions rarely hold sway. As Shikhar and Dev spiral deeper into a cycle of vengeance, Naresh’s ability to guide his son through this moral crisis is put to the ultimate test.

Rohan K. Mehta
Director
rohankmehta8@gmail.com

Director(s) Statement

Adolescence is a food chain.

Through the film’s focus on power dynamics, it explores the nature of learned behaviour and how easily violence can escalate. The nature of bullying is explored; how we respond to intimidation, how the urge to bully others manifests in people, and how far it can go. There are instances and sequences which are directly picked up from my childhood as a small built boy, I encountered bullying for a large part of my childhood, making the subject matter deeply personal to me.

The film concludes with a hopeful, albeit tentative vote of confidence in the next generation’s capacity for evolving its compassion and ability to learn from mistakes of the past.

Budget
USD 565, 741

Financing in place
USD 147, 878

Production Company
MacGuffin Pictures

Looking for
Co-Producers, Distribution Partners, Film Festivals/Programmers