Mask of Desire

Dipak and Saraswati lead a modest life in a two-room apartment with their two young daughters. Dipak, a former footballer in the army, now works as a uniformed guard for a successful business, while Saraswati adores him. Their everyday happiness is tinted by the quiet routines of their city life in Kathmandu.

Anxieties swirl around Saraswati's pregnancy, as their happiness seems tethered to the hope of a son. Dipak's and Saraswati's quiet longing reveals deeper wishes that would make their lives feel complete.

During Saraswati's prayers at the Shiva-lingam shrine, a mysterious sadhu appears and declares that only the goddess Tripura, at the riverbank shrine, can answer her prayers. This encounter plants the seed for a ritual path that will redefine their fate.

Saraswati prays, and soon a son is born, amplifying their joy. They believe the goddess has granted their deepest wish.

Weeks after the birth, the infant dies, casting a pall of sorrow, anger, and guilt over the family. The loss shatters their simple happiness and begins a slow unraveling.

Saraswati becomes intermittently ill and sinks into depression, as the household's cheer gives way to uncertainty. The sense of loss deepens and threatens her sanity.

Seeking relief, Saraswati returns to the river shrine, where the sadhu advises her to seek treatment from the jhankrini, the spirit medium. This marks the entry point for a different circle of influence in their lives.

The jhankrini, Gita, is reputed as a healer with a painful past. She was married to a mentally disturbed husband whose illness and eventual suicide left her scarred by visions and bouts of illness. Her life is haunted by a sense of possession and the fear of losing control.

As Saraswati receives treatment, she becomes grateful and drawn to the jhankrini, while Dipak is intrigued by the mystery surrounding her. Dipak sidesteps Gita's advances but remains fascinated by the larger forces at work around them.

Saraswati's past loss and her growing attraction to Gita deepen her depression and threaten from the stability of Dipak's marriage. The three become entangled as desire, guilt, and faith pull them in different directions.

Saraswati goes back to the river shrine, seeking renewed communion with the goddess to restore balance for herself and her husband. This ritual marks a turning point as she commits to a path that may involve Gita again.

Gita prays to the goddess to restore her healing powers, aware she has begun to falter. Her attendant warns her not to stray from the path, heightening the tension of the ritual.

The healing is scheduled for an important religious festival when a gigantic wooden chariot is pulled through the streets. The festival atmosphere amplifies the collective frenzy surrounding the rite.

During the rite, a fierce confrontation erupts between Saraswati and the jhankrini, each crying that the other is bewitched. The crowd drums as the bokshi instruments clash, and in the quiet aftermath it is unclear who was bewitched and what has truly happened.