General | 16 Minutes
Starring : Leah Khambata, Zenobia Shroff, Meera Narasimhan.
Based on what writer/producer/actress Leah Khambata personally went through, (t)here is about a millennial Indian girl, Rhea (LEAH KHAMBATA), who feels constantly torn between staying in the US to pursue her passion for acting and her family life in India. She is in her New York City apartment when she gets a call from her mother (ZENOBIA SHROFF). Rhea’s grandmother (MEERA NARASIMHAN) has been in the hospital for a while which makes Rhea want to go back to India to be with her since she and her Granny share a very special bond. Her mother insists she stay in the US though because that’s what her Granny would have wanted – for her to pursue her dreams.
Rhea realizes she’s missing an ingredient for what she’s cooking and runs to the nearby Indian grocery store where the manager, Sameer (SOUMENDU BHATTACHARYA), who is just locking up for the night. He agrees to let her in and they soon realize that they’re both from Mumbai, which leads to them chatting over a cup of tea and him telling her that he hasn’t ever met his grandson because he hasn’t been able to afford to go back to India.
Upon realizing she’s left the stove on, Rhea darts back to her apartment where her boyfriend, Matt (JASON CROWLEY) is waiting for her. He tells her that her agent, in trying to track her down, called him to tell her that she got the part in a film in LA. An argument between them leads to Rhea breaking up with Matt.
Sameer the grocery store manager buzzes Rhea’s apartment to tell her she dropped her ID. She makes some tea for them and they continue their conversation from the store. Rhea suddenly gets a phone call and darts to the bathroom to take it. Sameer leaves. Inside the bathroom, Rhea is devastated to learn that her grandmother has passed away. She goes to get her grandmother’s scarf and drapes it around her, holding back tears looking into a mirror. She sees the reflection of a poster on her wall.
A few days later, Rhea goes to the Indian grocery store and leaves an envelope at the entrance. Sameer opens it to find a check accompanied with a note from Rhea that says that the check is for him to go see his grandson. Later that day, Rhea leaves for the airport with a bunch of suitcases. The cab driver asks her where she is flying to, and we see the poster that had caught her eye. It’s one of Judy Garland from A Star is Born and on it is a note: “An actress needs her inspiration – Thanks for being mine. Love, Granny”.