Face2News/Chandigarh
Following a rousing world premiere at the prestigious Cinevesture International Film Festival (CIFF) earlier this year and an exceptional IMDB rating of 9.7, Ghich Pich, a stirring new coming-of-agedrama, is set to releaseacrosscinemasinIndiaon August1,2025—onmassive public demand.
Set in the late 1990s Chandigarh, Ghich Pich tells the moving story of three teenage boys navigating the complex emotional terrain of growing up, friendship, rebellion, and strained relationships with their fathers. Richi natmosphereandsteepedinnostalgia,thefilmvividly brings to life a city and a generation grappling with identity, expectations, and suppressed emotions.
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The film marks the directorialand writingdebutofAnkurSingla,aformerlawyerandtech entrepreneur who sold his successful Sequoia-backed startup to Amazon before founding Barsaati Films, a Delhi-based indie production house.
“Ghich Pich is my love letter to Chandigarh and the boys I grew up with. It’s inspired by my own memories,theparentingstylesofthatera,andtheemotionalchaosteenageboyssilentlycarry,” says Ankur.
“The lockdown gave me time to reflect and unearth stories from my past. It also gavemethecouragetofinallychasewhatI’vealwayswantedtodo—tellhumanstoriesthrough cinema.”
Ankur's inspiration draws from Indian indie gems like Udaan and Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi, andhisnarrativefindsadelicatebalancebetweenmainstreamappealandintimaterealism—a genre often dubbed "Mindie" cinema.
TheFilm ShotentirelyinChandigarhinearly2023,GhichPichisnamedaftertheHindicolloquialfora mental or emotional logjam—a perfect metaphor for its teenage protagonists stuck between tradition and independence. It’s also a nostalgic lens into a city often underrepresented on screen.
From the brutalist beauty of Capitol Complex, to the carefree charm of the Rose Garden, SukhnaLake, and the gehri route, GhichPichcapturesChandigarhnotjustasabackdrop,but as a silent character steeped in warmth, memory, and emotion.
ThefilmalsomarksthefinalfeaturefilmappearanceofthelateNiteshPandey,knownfor iconic roles in Khosla Ka Ghosla and Om Shanti Om. He plays Rakesh Arora, a rare affectionate father figure in a decade known for strict parenting.