India, Oct. 6 -- Mrunal Thakur's Pooja Meri Jaan examines what happens when a woman rejects a man, only to find herself blamed after he dies by suicide. Directed by Navjot Gulati, the film turns that premise into a courtroom drama about consent, rejection and male entitlement.
A rejection turns into a legal battle
Thakur plays Pooja, an actor performing Juliet in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet. Her co-star Aniket, played by Vikram Singh Chauhan, proposes to her after a performance. Shocked by the declaration, Pooja later rejects him and angrily tells him to go away. Aniket subsequently takes his own life, leaving Pooja accused of abetting his suicide.
Consent at the centre
The film's strongest material comes from its treatment o...