Aastha Tiku’s directorial debut, the surreal comedy-drama Dreamboat, produced by Amit Masurkar, is set to make its world premiere at the 2026 Dharamshala International Film Festival, offering a unique, punk-infused exploration of city life.
Dreamboat Set for Global Debut
Aastha Tiku’s comedy drama titled 'Dreamboat' produced by National Award winner Amit Masurkar, is set to have its world premiere at Dharamshala International Film Festival 2026. The 24-minute short film also stars Sofia Ashraf, Supriya Joshi, Tenzin Dalha and Prayrak Mehta in prominent roles.
The 24-minute film marks the directorial debut of Tiku, best known for writing the ecological thriller Sherni (2021), and is produced by Tiku alongside National Award-winning filmmaker Amit Masurkar, known for Newton (2017), Sherni (2021) and the cult independent comedy Sulemani Keeda(2014).
Behind the Surreal Narrative
"The story follows, when an underground musician’s unconventional romance with her beloved pillow is violently cut short by her mother, she spirals into a delirious odyssey through Mumbai, where her friendships, desires, and grip on reality are tested by an enigmatic homeless poet. As she searches for love and connection in an increasingly alienating city, the abandoned pillow begins to develop a will of its own," reads the logline of the short film as quoted in a press note.
Drawing from the language of fantasy, pop culture and the absurd, Dreamboat inhabits a world where the bizarre becomes strangely relatable. The film's playful, camp aesthetic and unconventional premise place it in the tradition of Indian cinema that has embraced the surreal, the eccentric and the inexplicable. In the lineage of cult classics such as Mani Kaul's Duvidha and Kamal Swaroop's Om-Dar-Ba-Dar, Dreamboat explores the possibilities of a cinema that breaks away from conventional narrative logic, using the fantastical to reveal something deeply human.
Director and Producer Perspectives
Aastha Tiku's Vision
Speaking about the film, writer-director Aastha Tiku says, “Dreamboat literally came to me in a dream and I spent a few months trying to decipher it and mould it into a screenplay. I wanted the world of the film to feel relatable, at the same time coded in dream logic. Through the fantasy genre with a female protagonist the intent was to capture the relationship of an artist and her muse - a pillow. The film allowed me to follow my instincts and make something honest, punk and experiential,” as quoted in a press note.
Insights from Amit Masurkar
Producer Amit Masurkar adds, “What drew me to Dreamboat was its unconventional premise and the treatment boards Aastha had prepared for the film. I love how she used pop culture, music, colour, language, fashion to create this campy and surreal fever dream. We are excited to begin our festival journey with DIFF,” as quoted in a press note.
The world premiere at the Dharamshala International Film Festival marks the beginning of Dreamboat's festival journey, introducing audiences to a singular cinematic experience that brings together punk sensibilities, camp aesthetics and dreamlike storytelling in a celebration of the wonderfully weird. Dharamshala International Film Festival will run from October 29 to November 1. (ANI)
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