MELBOURNE, 21 August, 2026: Five Sydney Swan players are in the spotlight and have been stood down for this years session, amid police investigations into alleged reports of sexual assault in a Melbourne hotel, after the Swans victory over Essendon at the MCG. They are not yet charged. but civil suits against them and the club are likely. In fact, a few more such cases have occurred in the country, reports indicate.
This came to my mind as I watched the world premiere (Village Cinemas, Crown) at the IFFM 2026 of ‘Pastt Tense’ (yes, there are two T’s in the name), Director Anant Mahadevan’s powerful movie initially sourced from a newspaper report, follows Raunak, a young man raised by adoptive parents who becomes determined to discover why his biological parents abandoned him at birth. His search leads him to his biological mother and reveals a painful history involving sexual violence, social stigma and forced separation.
The current case in Australia and the incident in “Pastt Tense’ are not similar, but reflective of a trend that defies rational thought. Anyway, the Indian sexual violence case had consequences which is weaved into this powerful movie where a rape survivor is forced to give up her son into adoption. Psychological factors, social stigma, and the suppression of a painful truth is what this movie is all about.
After two decades plus the three alleged culprits are confronted by Raunak, as the rape survivor (his mother) continues to grapple with the issue. This is not a revenge story, but a scuttle way of seeking justice. The perpetuators current happy lives lie in shambles, as Raunak moves ahead. They argue among themselves and hide the issue from families. The guilt creeps in, as DNA matching takes place.
The day of reckoning comes and the three alleged culprits ,finally, are left to face the rest of their lives in guilt.
Aditya Rawal as Raunak Phadnis, gives a powerful performance, Paresh Rawal as one of the culprits displays his polished acting, others including Sharib Hashmi , Adil Hussain, and Tannishtha Chatterjee perform as the script demanded.
Mahadevan’s apt direction is strictly as the script demanded. Though, I feel, tighter editing could have shortened the length and made it more sleek.
Sum up: The alleged sexual assault case in Australia continues to make news, and unfortunately elsewhere such incidents continue to happen. Pastt Tense’s is a timely reminder of harsh realities that engulf human society. Justice for the victim, is essential. This is what Pastt Tense conveys.
* Title: Pastt Tense — with a double “t” in “Pastt”.
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Director: Ananth Narayan Mahadevan.
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Production banner: Flying Stone Filmz.
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Reported runtime: Approximately 110 minutes.
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Filming locations: Dehradun, Rishikesh and Mussoorie.
The principal cast among others:
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Aditya Rawal as Raunak Phadnis, the protagonist.
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Paresh Rawal as Aseem Rana, one of the pivotal characters Raunak encounters.
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Adil Hussain.
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Sharib Hashmi. (in the video bite)
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Tannishtha Chatterjee.
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Gagan Dev Riar.
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Smita Tambe.
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Satish Sharma.
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Shradha Bhatt.
