Gear Shift

Pramil, a 28-year-old man, lives with his wife Anita and 4-month-old daughter Shubhi in Mumbai. He was brought up in a lower-middle-class family in Jhansi by his mother Rajni and mama, Lakshit aka Lachoo, as his father was occupied with his job in the Railways.

Thus, Lacchoo had a great influence on Pramil’s life. Things took a turn for the worse when Lacchoo bought their neighbour’s Satyarth’s car and lost his life in a car accident. Subsequently, Pramil developed a hysteria towards Satyarth’s car.

15 years later, in the present day Jhansi, our protagonist- Pramil visits his hometown with his wife and infant daughter. As is typical of the northern Indian belt, the weather is sultry and accompanied by scorching heat waves. The mercury has touched an unprecedented 48* Celsius.

While Pramil is living a part of his childhood, enjoying the thin and hot air, his wife is uncomfortable in the fiery spell. The couple along with their daughter reach their destination (Pramil’s house) where he notices Satyarth’s car parked on the porch.

Taking cognisance of the torrid weather conditions, Pramil’s father Brij, and mother Rajni recommend him to use the car for his wife’s and daughter’s comfort. Owing to his trauma, Pramil declines.

To comfort Shubhi & Anita, Pramil looks for commuting options in the city. While there are technical issues with mainstream car booking apps, the alternatives in the form of self-driven cars & Chauffeur driven taxis seem to burn a hole in his pocket.

Pramil’s apprehension of using the available car creates humiliating situations for Anita and their relationship starts to suffer. Seeing her discontented son, Rajni decides to resolve the matter forever and discloses the truth about Lacchhoo’s death.

Pramil is affected by the revelation but later accepts it and overcomes his trauma. A few moments later, he drives Satyarth’s car with Shubhi & Anita sitting beside him.