Archive · 7 Aug 2026
Prateek Kuhad to make acting debut in indie drama "Drowning"
A famous Indian singer called Prateek Kuhad is going to act in a movie for the first time.
The movie is called "Drowning," which means "Doobna" in Hindi.
It's a drama about a musician named Tarush who becomes famous after one big hit song.
But then his life falls apart because a powerful, bad record label boss takes control of him.
The story happens in New Delhi, where many independent musicians make their own music.
The movie was inspired by one of Prateek's own songs called "Drown."
The director, Dar Gai, already worked with Prateek on the music video for his hit song "Cold/Mess."
She says the film feels like real life right now — funny, sad, messy, and hard to escape.
One of the companies making the movie, Jugaad Motion Pictures, earlier made "Last Film Show," which was India's choice for the Oscars.
The film was shot in New Delhi, and no release date has been shared yet.
Singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad will make his feature film acting debut in "Drowning (Doobna)," directed by Dar Gai.
The Delhi-set drama stars Kuhad as indie musician Tarush, whose career spirals when he falls under a criminal record label owner's control.
Produced by Marginal MediaWorks with Los Angeles-based D36 and Mumbai's Jugaad Motion Pictures, it is the company's first fiction feature in South Asia.
Kuhad and Gai developed the project after collaborating on the "Cold/Mess" video, inspired by his song "Drown."
Kuhad's "Cold/Mess" topped Spotify India's charts, made Barack Obama's playlist, and won Rolling Stone's Music Video of the Year; his album "Full Moon Chamber" arrived in July.
- Who
- Singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad, starring as indie musician Tarush; the film is directed by Dar Gai and produced by Marginal MediaWorks with D36 and Jugaad Motion Pictures.
- What
- Kuhad makes his feature film acting debut in "Drowning (Doobna)," a drama in which an indie musician's career spirals under a criminal record label owner's control.
- When
- No release date was announced; the project follows the July release of Kuhad's album "Full Moon Chamber."
- Where
- Set and shot in New Delhi, against the city's independent music scene.
- Why
- Kuhad and Gai wanted to extend their creative partnership, and the filmmakers wanted to explore contemporary indie music rarely depicted in mainstream Indian cinema.
- Film title
- Drowning (Doobna)
- Director
- Dar Gai
- Lead actor
- Prateek Kuhad (feature acting debut, as Tarush)
- Production companies
- Marginal MediaWorks, D36, Jugaad Motion Pictures
- Producers
- Sanjay M. Sharma, Milan Chakraborty, Abhi Kanakadandila, Dheer Momaya, Dar Gai
- Setting
- New Delhi independent music scene
- Inspiration
- Kuhad's song "Drown"
- First for
- Marginal MediaWorks' first fiction feature in South Asia