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Ridhima, Manjula Ghattamaneni, a Delhi-based pharma executive, travels to a remote village in Andhra Pradesh to seal a patent deal with a reclusive professor who has developed a promising new drug. The professor leaves a note asking her to wait, claiming urgent work keeps him from arriving on time, setting the stage for an unexpected turn in the otherwise businesslike trip. It’s there that [Madhav Rao]—a junior advocate who oversees the patent sale—enters the scene. Ridhima is portrayed as a carefree, single woman with a boyfriend named Sanjay, while Madhav Rao is introduced as a man disenchanted with his career, a depressed husband tormented by his taunting wife [Laxmi Rattan] Sudha. In the professor’s lonely resort, the two men and woman begin to form a wary but growing friendship amid the isolation.

A playful dare opens a door to vulnerability and ambition. To pass the time, Ridhima jokes that she will pay ₹30,000 to anyone who can entertain her for at least an hour. Madhav responds with a prank, pretending to be a psycho, which wounds Ridhima but ironically peels back layers of their personalities. She learns that Madhav once pursued acting for five years before switching to law, a detail that deepens their bond as he reveals the ache of a stalled dream. The mood shifts as Madhav suggests staging a small play about a husband and wife who are headed toward divorce, a project that could function as a temporary distraction while they wait for the professor. Ridhima is initially hesitant, but she agrees to participate to fill the time.

The rehearsal becomes a mirror of their own lives. The improvised play is halted by Madhav, a move that stings because Ridhima’s mood of casual engagement feels like a dismissal of his effort. She apologizes, and Madhav, eager to please, creates a lavish lunch that features all of Ridhima’s favorites. After the meal, she admits she does not want to act, yet Madhav encourages her to find the confidence to perform. They restart the performance, and the pair adopt the stage names Sandhya and Subba Rao, exploring a relationship on the brink—one that could either patch up or shatter.

The act takes a darker turn as reality intrudes. As they improvise, Madhav is haunted by memories of his own wife Sudha—his inner conflict surfaces when Sandhya echoes sentiments tied to Sudha. The tension grows until Madhav stops playing and confronts the performance head-on, a sign that the pretend world is starting to feel real. The dialogue intensifies, and Sandhya confesses a forbidden kind of love for Sanjay, while the question of their future and their son Shambu looms. In a devastating moment, Sandhya’s words hint at a fatal outcome—an outcome that shocks Madhav and pushes him toward violent action, as he assaults Sandhya in a flare of anger. Then he confesses his deep, almost sacrificial love for her, admitting the extent to which he has compromised himself for her.

Ridhima realizes the truth behind the mask. The sequence makes it clear to Ridhima that Madhav’s feelings have crossed from performance to obsession. She recognizes that his passion for his wife has destabilized him, and she understands what has happened only because she has been there, watching the line between drama and reality blur before her eyes. In a desperate bid to halt the danger, she claps and treats the moment as a show, attempting to bring Madhav back to reality. The outburst subsides, and Madhav, now lucid again, apologizes for what he has done.

A moment of relief and a bittersweet ending. The two share a relieved, almost relieved laughter as they put the chaos behind them and try to regain their balance. The professor’s return signals a pause to their improvised drama, and the looming normalcy of the outside world returns. The episode leaves Ridhima with a deeper understanding of the fragile boundary between art and life, while Madhav faces the consequences of his actions, choosing to steer his life toward honesty rather than illusion.

The film closes with a sense of ambiguity resolved only by circumstance: the professor arrives, bringing the formal business to a close, but the emotional aftermath lingers, leaving both characters to reckon with what they have discovered about love, ambition, and the power of a moment when a pretend moment begins to feel all too real.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:24