Pretend Play
2026·Drama·21m
7.1
★
Pretend Play follows a young content creator documenting his mother’s fractured memory, transforming personal pain into educational and emotional online content in pursuit of visibility and digital relevance.
Directed by Rohit Chauhan
social commentary
internet culture
reflective
introspective
experimental film
psychological drama
digital identity
emotional disconnection
fragmented memories
social performance
psychological fragmentation
performance culture
IMDB
N/A
Cast
Neha Dhar
Harsha 'Komet' Maheshwari
Rohit Chauhan
Shanmukh
Arham Hussain
Crew
Rohit Chauhan
Director
Rohit Chauhan
Writer
Rohit Chauhan
Editor
Shanmukh
Director of Photography
Shahamat Hussain
Executive Co-Producer
G. Vignesh
Costume Coordinator
Shahamat Hussain
Location Scout
Shahamat Hussain
Costume Consultant
Popular Reviews
1 review
Adil Sayyad
8.0★ · 06/20/26
When we see the state of Bollywood and the slop it churns out, one look at an independent artist will make you realise that talent does exist in our country; it’s just that they need opportunities to express themselves, and one such artist is Rohit Chauhan.
Pretend Play is about a young content creator (Rohit Chauhan) who is trying to launch his career at the expense of his demented mother (Neha Dhar), but soon we realise not all is as it seems.
Pretend Play is about the world of pretences, a world where everything is content. Even sympathy and blessings can be monetised and sold back to us. In such a world, human experiences are commodified and not authentic, but something we pretend for the sake of more plays.
Shanmukh, the cinematographer, makes amazing use of framing and symmetry to create beautiful shots. The close-ups of characters gulping food are disgusting but also bring out the theme of consumption. I also loved how the sound changes from upbeat to serious the moment we realise that there is something more at play. I believe that the sounds of temple bells and prayer calls serve as a reminder to return to our roots.
Harsha ‘Komet’ Maheshwari plays a representative from a firm, and her sycophantic nature is disturbing, someone who is not interested in a person’s wellbeing, just trying to milk out as much content as possible. Rohit Chauhan plays the disturbing side of the character well, his constant stares at his mobile kit, serves as a reminder that he isn’t portraying his genuine self to his viewers.
Pretend Play is about a young content creator (Rohit Chauhan) who is trying to launch his career at the expense of his demented mother (Neha Dhar), but soon we realise not all is as it seems.
Pretend Play is about the world of pretences, a world where everything is content. Even sympathy and blessings can be monetised and sold back to us. In such a world, human experiences are commodified and not authentic, but something we pretend for the sake of more plays.
Shanmukh, the cinematographer, makes amazing use of framing and symmetry to create beautiful shots. The close-ups of characters gulping food are disgusting but also bring out the theme of consumption. I also loved how the sound changes from upbeat to serious the moment we realise that there is something more at play. I believe that the sounds of temple bells and prayer calls serve as a reminder to return to our roots.
Harsha ‘Komet’ Maheshwari plays a representative from a firm, and her sycophantic nature is disturbing, someone who is not interested in a person’s wellbeing, just trying to milk out as much content as possible. Rohit Chauhan plays the disturbing side of the character well, his constant stares at his mobile kit, serves as a reminder that he isn’t portraying his genuine self to his viewers.
When we see the state of Bollywood and the slop it churns out, one look at an independent artist will make you realise that talent does exist in our country; it’s just that they need opportunities to express themselves, and one such artist is Rohit Chauhan.
Pretend Play is about a young content creator (Rohit Chauhan) who is trying to launch his career at the expense of his demented mother (Neha Dhar), but soon we realise not all is as it seems.
Pretend Play is about the world of pretences, a world where everything is content. Even sympathy and blessings can be monetised and sold back to us. In such a world, human experiences are commodified and not authentic, but something we pretend for the sake of more plays.
Shanmukh, the cinematographer, makes amazing use of framing and symmetry to create beautiful shots. The close-ups of characters gulping food are disgusting but also bring out the theme of consumption. I also loved how the sound changes from upbeat to serious the moment we realise that there is something more at play. I believe that the sounds of temple bells and prayer calls serve as a reminder to return to our roots.
Harsha ‘Komet’ Maheshwari plays a representative from a firm, and her sycophantic nature is disturbing, someone who is not interested in a person’s wellbeing, just trying to milk out as much content as possible. Rohit Chauhan plays the disturbing side of the character well, his constant stares at his mobile kit, serves as a reminder that he isn’t portraying his genuine self to his viewers.
Pretend Play is about a young content creator (Rohit Chauhan) who is trying to launch his career at the expense of his demented mother (Neha Dhar), but soon we realise not all is as it seems.
Pretend Play is about the world of pretences, a world where everything is content. Even sympathy and blessings can be monetised and sold back to us. In such a world, human experiences are commodified and not authentic, but something we pretend for the sake of more plays.
Shanmukh, the cinematographer, makes amazing use of framing and symmetry to create beautiful shots. The close-ups of characters gulping food are disgusting but also bring out the theme of consumption. I also loved how the sound changes from upbeat to serious the moment we realise that there is something more at play. I believe that the sounds of temple bells and prayer calls serve as a reminder to return to our roots.
Harsha ‘Komet’ Maheshwari plays a representative from a firm, and her sycophantic nature is disturbing, someone who is not interested in a person’s wellbeing, just trying to milk out as much content as possible. Rohit Chauhan plays the disturbing side of the character well, his constant stares at his mobile kit, serves as a reminder that he isn’t portraying his genuine self to his viewers.
