Writer-director Sudeep Kanwal’s directorial debut Privacy, a social thriller set in and out of Mumbai slums will premiere as an official selection of Bucheon International Film Festival (BIFAN), Asia’s premium genre cinema event.

The film stars Rajshri Deshpande known for her leading role in Netflix India’s Trial by Fire, surrounded by an all-star Indian cast including, Nishank Verma, and Sandesh Kulkarni.

The film follows the story of Roopali, who works at the Mumbai surveillance command and control center as an operator. While being ambitious, she constantly fights her own guilt and resists her dark past. Things start to get complicated when Roopali ignores protocol and begins to investigate a robbery/murder that takes place on her watch.

“The access to personal data by big corporations should be a topic of concern. Yet, we don’t hear much about it. There are no strict regulations against collection of data. Even though the film is based around a CCTV control room. The theme of losing privacy to technology is similar to what’s happening to all of us on a daily basis. I hope the film can make the viewer aware of privacy issues that surround us,” says director Sudeep Kanwal.

Filmed entirely in Mumbai, the visual world of Privacy is related to the city’s diverse and contrasting social-economic classes.

“I have always been fascinated with the concept of surveillance. From the Peeping Tom concept of Rear Window, to the eavesdropping world of The Conversation, or the modern micro surveillance depicted in Snowden, it just shows how interested we are in the lives of other people. But, the important question is how much access to someone’s private life is okay? Should an institution have unlimited access to personal information? Wouldn’t that lead to an Orwellian dystopia?” concludes the director.

Watch official teaser trailer for Privacy.

“PRIVACY” is presently available for worldwide sales and distribution rights.