Chandigarh 18 July2025: Following a rousing world premiere at the prestigious Cinevesture International Film Festival (CIFF) earlier this year and an exceptional IMDB rating of 9.7, Ghich Pich, a stirring new coming-of-agedrama,issettoreleaseacrosscinemasinIndiaonAugust1,2025—onmassive public demand.
Set in the late 1990s Chandigarh, Ghich Pich tells the moving story of three teenage boys navigating the complex emotional terrain of growing up, friendship, rebellion, and strained relationshipswiththeirfathers.Richinatmosphereandsteepedinnostalgia,thefilmvividly brings to life a city and a generation grappling with identity, expectations, and suppressed emotions.
TRAILERLINK:https://youtu.be/53AK4RIEkg0?si=2Y9kqeclqeKgGk8u
ATechVisionaryTurnsFilmmaker
ThefilmmarksthedirectorialandwritingdebutofAnkurSingla,aformerlawyerandtech entrepreneur who sold his successful Sequoia-backed startup to Amazon before founding Barsaati Films, a Delhi-based indie production house.
“Ghich Pich is my love letter to Chandigarh and the boys I grew up with. It’s inspired by my own memories,theparentingstylesofthatera,andtheemotionalchaosteenageboyssilentlycarry,” says Ankur. “The lockdown gave me time to reflect and unearth stories from my past. It also gavemethecouragetofinallychasewhatI’vealwayswantedtodo—tellhumanstoriesthrough cinema.”
Ankur's inspiration draws from Indian indie gems like Udaan and Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi, andhisnarrativefindsadelicatebalancebetweenmainstreamappealandintimaterealism—a genre often dubbed "Mindie" cinema.
TheFilm
ShotentirelyinChandigarhinearly2023,GhichPichisnamedaftertheHindicolloquialfora mental or emotional logjam—a perfect metaphor for its teenage protagonists stuck between tradition and independence. It’s also a nostalgic lens into a city often underrepresented on screen.
From the brutalist beauty of Capitol Complex, to the carefree charm of the Rose Garden, SukhnaLake,andthegehriroute,GhichPichcapturesChandigarhnotjustasabackdrop,but as a silent character steeped in warmth, memory, and emotion.
ThefilmalsomarksthefinalfeaturefilmappearanceofthelateNiteshPandey,knownfor iconic roles in Khosla Ka Ghosla and Om Shanti Om. He plays Rakesh Arora, a rare affectionate father figure in a decade known for strict parenting.
CAST&CHARACTERSKETCHES
● ShhivamKakarasGauravArora:Abrash,masculineteenagerwithashorttemperbut a deep bond with his father. Known for his work in Flames and Indoo Ki Jawani, this is Shhivam’s first lead feature.
● KabirNandaasGurpreetSingh:AsensitiveSikhboyandbuddingcricketernavigating young love and parental expectations. Kabir prepped extensively for the role, including learning cricket and wearing a turban.
● AryanRanaasAnuragBansal:Astudiousbutconfusedteenfacingcrushingacademic pressure from a demanding father. Aryan brings raw honesty to the role in his first film appearance.
● Nitesh Pandey (Rakesh Arora) – A soft-spoken, emotionally evolved father; his final screenroleisboundtoleaveamark.Muchlovedandadmired,Niteshdidpivotalrolesin Khosla Ka Ghosla and Anupama.
● Geeta Agrawal Sharma (Ritu Arora) – The strong, grounding maternal figure who bringsstabilityinthehousehold.SheisknownforherworkinLaapataaLadiesand12th Fail.
● SatyajitSharma(NareshBansal)–Aclassic90sdisciplinarianfatherwhodemands excellence, no matter the emotional cost. He is well known for his work in Made in Heaven and Balika Vadhu.
EXPLORINGTHEFATHER-SONDYNAMIC
Ghich Pich boldly explores a theme rarely touched with such nuance in Indian cinema: the emotional disconnect between fathers and sons. Drawing comparisons to Udaan, the film divesintohowpatriarchalexpectations,generationaltrauma,andchangingsocietalrolesshape masculinity and emotional expression.
“Writing Ghich Pich was like hitting a refresh button and you realise there is so much locked in our mind’s storehouse,” says Ankur. Over a year and a half, he churned out multiple drafts of his story, of growing up in Chandigarh, of these boys who are on the cusp of adulthood. “We were young and restless, desperate to break free. There was a set way of parenting - most fathersweredominating,hardtaskmastersanddisciplinarians-evenmostgrownmenstillfeela little uncomfortable sitting alone and having an elaborate dinner with their fathers! Mothers were the mediators. Thankfully, parenting styles have changed a lot since those days!” he adds.
Teenage,especiallyforboysof17-18yearsremainstricky.“It’sanagewhereonefeelstrapped and there is a logjam in the brain, a ghichpich of sorts,” says Ankur, who shot the film in February 2023.
“Mostboysgrowupidolisingorfearingtheirfathers,oftenboth.There’slove,butalsorebellion. Understanding only comes later,” says actor Aryan Rana. “For many of us, our fathers were always present but rarely emotionally available.”
AddsKabirNanda,“Ittookmegrowinguptounderstandmyownfather’spressures.That emotional gap is a core part of Ghich Pich—one that many will relate to.”
ShhivamKakaragreesthatsonshaveacomplicatedrelationshipwiththeirfathers,andit’s hardly addressed or up for any discussion in the Indian family.
MUSIC&CREW
Thefilm’ssongsarecomposedbyRohitSharma(KashmirFiles,Aspirants)withlyricspenned by the acclaimed lyricist Shellee (Dev D, Manmarziyaan). The stirring background score was composed by Ritwik De. Syed Mubashshir Ali edits the film, maintaining a tight, immersive rhythm that never loses emotional focus. Ali is also a filmmaker based in Delhi, and is at present directing Chitthi Chor, a film set in the nomadic landscape of Uttarakhand. His other works include a short titled Squeaky Shoes, feature Dhai Aakhar and web series Akathit.
firstlove:storytelling.ThroughBarsaatiFilms,heaimstocreateheartfelt,narrative-drivenfilms that lie outside the commercial Bollywood machinery.
AnkurlivesinDelhiwithhiswifeandtwochildren.
