Paswaar: A Tale of Loneliness, Longing for Touch, And A Fading Community
Debutant filmmaker Shayar Gandhi says he wanted touch to be the centerpiece of his film Paswaar, which premiered at the Tasveer Film Festival 2025.
By Minal Rudra
Published : October 14, 2025 at 4:23 PM IST
Shayar Gandhi’s nearly 40-minute feature, Paswaar (Caress Me in English), strings together themes of aging, loneliness, and longing. It looks at family and estrangement, examines caregiving and emotional labour, and also shines a light on a community slowly facing extinction. Yet, at the heart of it all is -- touch. The simple, human need for connection that binds the characters and the story.
In a transcontinental call with ETV Bharat, Shayar spoke about the film, its inspiration, and its world premiere at the Tasveer Film Festival 2025, South Asia’s only Oscar-qualifying festival.
The filmmaker recalls being surrounded by warmth and connection at the festival, which he calls the “right platform” for his film. “South Asian filmmakers got an opportunity to have a voice. The film resonated with people. After the premiere, many told me it reminded them of their grandparents,” says the debutant director who attended Paswaar premiere on October 11 in Seattle.
Paswaar unfolds as a two-character story. Dr. Homi, a lonely octogenarian and one of the last surviving members of the Parsi Zoroastrian community, and his young caregiver, Lali. Her presence brings warmth and affection into his otherwise quiet house.
But beneath their daily rhythm lies an ache for human and familial connection. As Homi yearns for his estranged nephew’s visit, the fragile bond between him and Lali raises deeper questions about love, care, and what it means to grow old deprived of touch, affection, and one’s own people.
“I grew up around Parsis,” says Shayar. “The food, the architecture, the way of life... all of it was part of my childhood in Surat. That world stayed with me.” The film, he adds, is also a reflection of his own life. “I was very close to my grandfather. I think what inspired me to enter Homi and Lali’s world was the realisation of how important it is to care for our elders. Not just to be there, but to give them our time.”
A graduate of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, Shayar began his career in advertising, writing and directing commercials for over a decade. Paswaar marks his first step into fiction storytelling. “Advertising trains you to communicate sharply,” he says. “But for a film like this, I had to unlearn that. I had to let the story breathe and speak in its own rhythm. It was about being more instinctive and personal.”
The bond between Homi and Lali lies at the heart of Paswaar. It is both tender and complex. “At the far end of life, what makes us human?” he asks. “For me, it was touch. Once everything else falls away, touch is what connects us. That was the centerpiece of my film.”
Lali, played by Mamta Bhavsar, is as much the film’s soul as Homi, portrayed by veteran actor Arvind Vaidya. “Caregiving is often shown as duty,” says Shayar. “But for Lali, it’s instinctive. She has a motherly warmth that comes naturally to her. She belongs to that world where life is not purely transactional, where people still feel deeply.”
The Parsi backdrop adds cultural texture and melancholy to the story. “It’s a lived experience,” he says. “Parsis have been integral to Gujarati culture. I’ve always admired their food, clothing and architecture. But their numbers are dwindling, and that worries me. Through Paswaar, I wanted to celebrate that culture and also highlight its fading presence.”
While the film touches upon loneliness and ageing, it also talks about inheritance. Not of wealth, but of values. In the film’s moving climax, a small detail carries profound meaning. “I wanted to focus on intangible heritage,” says Shayar. “In today’s world, everything has become materialistic. But the true inheritance is not money or property. It’s culture, recipes, memories... the intangible things that give life meaning.”
Shot in Surat, the film’s visuals evoke nostalgia and warmth. “I wanted a summer vibe,” Shayar says. “My cinematographer Arnold Fernandes captured that beautifully. He brought an old-world charm to the frames and created an atmosphere that feels both intimate and timeless.”
Language plays a vital role in grounding the film in its setting. Paswaar is in Gujarati and Parsi dialect, rather than Hindi or English. “Making it in another language would have taken away its truth,” he explains. “The dialect is specific to South Gujarat. Even Lali’s speech has that local rhythm. Subtitles can reach a wider audience, but authenticity was more important to me.”
Casting, he says, fell into place naturally. “I had my heart set on Arvind Bhai from the beginning,” he recalls. “He brought grace and vulnerability to Homi. And Mamta took the role of Lali to a place I hadn’t imagined. She’s not from Surat, but she picked up the dialect beautifully.”
The film is filled with moments that reflect the director’s keen observation and familiarity with the Parsi community. He has also used metaphor with intention. Take Homi’s hunchback, for instance, which he says was a conscious choice. “With old age, the body itself becomes a burden. The hunch symbolises that weight. It’s not only physical; it’s emotional too," shares Shayar.
Produced by Kinjal Gajera, with cinematography by Arnold Fernandes, editing by Parth Savaliya, and music by Sagar Desai, Paswaar is already on its festival journey. “We’re sending it to more festivals,” Shayar says. “I’ve applied to IFFI Goa. I also hope someone like Boman Irani, who understands Parsi culture, could come onboard as a presenter... that would be a dream.”
For now, he hopes to release the film next year. “It deserves an audience,” he says. “Because it speaks about touch, old age, and the beauty of human connection. These things never go out of relevance.”
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