Aastha Tiku’s Offbeat Fantasy Comedy ‘Dreamboat’, Produced by National Award-Winner Amit Masurkar, Set for World Premiere at Dharamshala International Film Festival!

Starring Sofia Ashraf, Supriya Joshi, Tenzin Dalha and Prayrak Mehta, the 24-minute film is produced by Tiku and National Award-winning filmmaker Amit Masurkar

An unconventional romance, an abandoned pillow with a mind of its own, and a delirious journey through Mumbai, Dreamboat, a quirky, eclectic fantasy comedy-drama written and directed by Aastha Tiku, will have its world premiere at the Dharamshala International Film Festival, running from October 29 to November 1, 2026.

With its irreverent humour, punk sensibilities and surreal storytelling, Dreamboat ventures into an eccentric cinematic universe where desire, fantasy and reality collide. 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).

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

The film features an eclectic ensemble led by Sofia Ashraf, the rapper, artist and activist known for her viral protest single Kodaikanal Won’t, who makes her lead acting debut with Dreamboat. She is joined by Supriya Joshi, the stand-up comedian, Comicstaan finalist and popular digital creator; Tenzin Dalha, who recently starred in Tenzing (2026), an Apple TV film featuring Tom Hiddleston and Willem Dafoe, and the Berlinale-competing Shambhala (2024); and Prayrak Mehta, who has been building a presence through his work in OTT shows. Aastha Tiku is set to make a feature film in 2027. Moses Koul and Gurpal Singh round out the cast.

For Tiku, who is currently developing her first feature film as a director (set to go on floors in 2027), Dreamboat marks an exciting new chapter following her work as a screenwriter on Sherni. For Masurkar, whose filmography spans socially engaged cinema and irreverent independent comedy, the project offers an opportunity to champion an unusual voice and a story that refuses to fit neatly into a genre.

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.

By Keerti Kadam