Archive · 28 Aug 2026
Ananth Mahadevan Says Indian Audiences Need More Layered Cinema
Ananth Mahadevan made a film called Pastt Tense.
It is about a young man named Raunak who wants to know why his birth parents left him.
He is happy with his adoptive parents, but he is troubled by the abandonment.
The film also asks how people should take responsibility for their actions.
Mahadevan believes many Indian cinemas mostly show violent and formula-driven stories.
He says thoughtful films are not always shown widely because of distribution problems.
Audiences at the Melbourne film festival responded strongly to Pastt Tense.
He hopes Indian viewers will also get to watch and appreciate this kind of emotional cinema.
Ananth Mahadevan said Indian audiences have limited access to emotionally layered films such as Pastt Tense.
He attributed the problem to a faulty or parochial distribution network, rather than audience preferences alone.
Pastt Tense follows Raunak, a young man investigating why his biological parents abandoned him.
The film explores abandonment, adoption, guilt, conscience, responsibility and the consequences of past actions.
After its premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, Mahadevan said the film received an overwhelming response.
- Who
- Filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan and the cast of Pastt Tense, including Aditya Rawal, Paresh Rawal, Sharib Hashmi and Adil Hussain.
- What
- Mahadevan criticized limited access to emotionally layered films and discussed the themes and reception of Pastt Tense.
- When
- Pastt Tense recently had its world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne in 2026; Toxic reached theatres on Wednesday.
- Where
- The comments were made in a conversation with The Telegraph Online, following the film’s reception at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.
- Why
- Mahadevan said distribution problems and the dominance of violent, formula-driven mainstream films restrict audience access to alternative cinematic experiences.
- Film discussed
- Pastt Tense
- Director
- Ananth Mahadevan
- World premiere
- Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, 2026
- Central character
- Raunak, a young man searching for answers about his biological parents’ abandonment
- Key themes
- Abandonment, adoption, guilt, conscience and social responsibility
- Key cast
- Aditya Rawal, Paresh Rawal, Sharib Hashmi and Adil Hussain
- Mahadevan’s criticism
- He said distribution networks limit access to emotionally layered films while violent and formula-driven films dominate mainstream cinema