Vivek, a 30-something pickpocket in Pune, uses seduction as a distraction, pressing against men on crowded buses to steal and satisfy his desires. Detached, he exploits others’ hunger while suppressing his own. Meeting Kartik, a soft-spoken student seeking genuine intimacy, disrupts Vivek’s control. What begins as a hunt unravels into vulnerability, as Kartik’s tenderness challenges Vivek’s transactional world. The film blends the raw eroticism of Vivek’s encounters with the quiet, messy intimacy Kartik offers. As Vivek grapples with feelings he has long suppressed, the line between hunter and hunted blurs, leaving him to confront the cost of his transactional life.
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Not streaming anywhere
Not on any streaming service in United States, and not available to rent.
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Cast
3 people
Saurav Mahind Director · Tejas Shende Writer Deepak Kumar Editor
United States release August 15, 2026 · Original title Upaasmaar
Production
Film and Television Institute of India
Production
Languages
Original title
Upaasmaar
Original language
Marathi
Spoken on screen
Marathi
Release dates
India · February 8, 2026
Premiere · 18th SiGNS International Film Festival, Kerala
United States · August 15, 2026
Premiere · 31st OUTSouth Queer Film Festival, Durham
United States
September 12, 2026 · Premiere · 37th Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, St Petersburg
September 18, 2026 · Premiere · 33rd Long Beach Q Film Festival, California
September 19, 2026 · Premiere · 19th Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs LGBTQ+ Film Festival, California
September 24, 2026 · Premiere · 44th Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival, Chicago
October 2, 2026 · Premiere · 39th Out on Film Atlanta's LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Georgia
Canada
September 13, 2026 · Premiere · 38th Vancouver Queer Film Festival, Vancouver
India
May 31, 2026 · Premiere · 10th Out & Loud Pune International Queer Film Festival, Pune
June 4, 2026 · Premiere · 17th Kashish Pride Film Festival, Mumbai
June 20, 2026 · Premiere · PRIDE X FILM WEEKEND'26 (GAYSI | SOHO HOUSE)
October 8, 2026 · Premiere · 7th Mumba International Film Festival, Pune
Ireland
August 2, 2026 · Premiere · 34th Ireland's GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival, Dublin
Mexico
June 19, 2026 · Premiere · 30th Festival MIX Mexico, New Mexico
Norway
September 19, 2026 · Premiere · 36th Oslo/Fusion International Film Festival, Oslo
Ukraine
April 21, 2026 · Premiere · 4th Sunny Bunny LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, Kyiv
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