Puneeth Rajkumar had liked the story and wanted to back my film, says Roopa Rao

Mental health has been a key concern after pandemic-induced lockdowns changed lives. This inspired Roopa Rao of Gantumoote fame to helm her long-short film, Asmin, meaning “in the now” in Sanskrit.Poignantly, Roopa had narrated the story to the late actor Puneeth Rajkumar who had loved the idea, and had wanted to back it as an anthology. The film stars Teju Belawadi and Shwetha Gupta, who have worked with Roopa previously.

A mental health crisis

“Lockdown was a time when everyone was coming to grips with a lack of personal interactions. It was trying for those already dealing with mental health issues. The more I thought about it, the more it called out to be explored,” she says.

Women’s emotions explored

Admitting that women, their emotions and connections aren’t explored much in Indian cinema, Roopa was naturally drawn to this tale of a therapist and her patient. “How two women can affect and impact each other in a relationship, how confinement and distance impacted psyche, and pushed us to question ourselves is what Asmin seeks to look into,” elaborates Roopa. She hopes the story helps people combat loneliness. Roopa will be sending this long-short film to festivals across the world.