Who do you trust when money, ambition, and social media collide? The influencer flaunting luxury cars and screenshots of profits? The system that promises overnight wealth? Or your own instincts, clouded by greed and desperation?
These are the uncomfortable questions that Bhav Bhagwan Che throws at its viewers. Inspired by true events, the 66-minute indie film is a striking reflection of India’s stock market hype and the dangerous allure of financial influencers in the digital age. Its title-a Gujarati phrase meaning “Price is God” — serves as a double-edged commentary on both financial obsession and spiritual detachment.
Shot with minimal resources, the film balances entertainment and introspection, earning acclaim for its authenticity, acting, dialogue, and storytelling. It has already won multiple accolades, Best Director and Best Feature Film at the Makizhmithran International Film Festival, Best Indian Feature Film, and Best Screenplay at the Great Message International Film Festival 2025. The film is now streaming on YouTube, making its message as accessible as it is urgent.
The film, produced, directed and written by Anish Kumar, is the third instalment in The Social Media Drug anthology — a bold series that examines modern addictions born out of algorithms and vanity. From self-help cults to fitness obsession, each chapter magnifies the ways technology reshapes our perception of success. Here, in Bhav Bhagwan Che, money becomes the ultimate drug.
At its core, the story follows five ordinary individuals whose lives intertwine with a man once untouchable in the world of stock markets and media. But more than market numbers, it’s about choices, who we trust, what we believe, and how far we’re willing to gamble.
The Theatre Within CinemaAnish Kumar, an author of The Game of Choices and a seasoned theatre artist, brought his storytelling instincts to the film, treating the camera almost like a stage: “Theatre has been my first school of storytelling, and it deeply shaped how I approached Bhav Bhagwan Che. In theatre, you learn to rely on the basics-actors, space, silence, and rhythm. There are no big budgets, no multiple takes, so you develop a sharp instinct for truth in performance and economy in expression. I carried that into filmmaking.
For Bhav Bhagwan Che, my theatre background helped me focus on the raw emotions of the characters, making sure every gesture, pause, or silence carried weight. I treated the set almost like a stage — where collaboration, trust, and presence mattered more than spectacle. At the same time, film gave me new tools-camera, sound, editing — to expand what theatre had taught me about intimacy. So, in a way, this film is a dialogue between my theatre roots and my cinematic aspirations.”
Kumar explains how he decides which stories suit paper versus screen:
“A book works well if the story is deeply internal-characters wrestling with thoughts, philosophies, or subtle shifts in perception. Whereas a film is better suited if the story is highly visual, action-driven, or relies on cinematic atmosphere. In my book The Game of Choice, the story sprawls across decades and multiple POVs. In Bhav Bhagwan Che, the challenge was to distil beats and momentum so it fits cinema’s compact form.”
Actor Ankit Sati brings to life “Charts Ka Maharaj,” a financial influencer whose charm hides manipulation. Trained at Delhi’s Shri Ram Centre, Sati had to adjust from the stage’s broad gestures to the subtler realism of film:
“Bringing Charts Ka Maharaj to life on camera was a uniquely rewarding challenge. Theatre taught me to project emotions to reach the last row… Film demands a subtler approach-every nuance, even a flicker in the eyes, is magnified on screen.”
Balancing comedy and drama was equally crucial: “Comedy thrives on timing and spontaneity, drama leans into honesty and emotional depth… The real joy comes from blending these genres, showing that even serious moments can have humour, and comedic scenes often reveal deeper truths.”
Mirror to SocietyActor Nikhil Kumar, portraying a pivotal character, was drawn to the role for its realism:
“The thing that drew me to this role was that the character is not a hero, he is not a villain, he is just the mirror of society. How easy it is to get influenced by social media nowadays is what makes
the character more attractive and realistic.” He elaborates on the dangers of digital illusions: “In the film, my character falls under the spell of a financial influencer who flaunts profits and polished balance sheets. He sells the idea that making money is simple, even effortless. And the most dangerous part? He sells
hope and that can be incredibly persuasive.”Capturing the character’s gradual spiral from ambition to obsession was both challenging and rewarding:
“It wasn’t about flipping a switch; it was about layering in the signs and little shifts in behaviour. Showing that progression authentically — the thin line between purpose and obsession-was deeply fulfilling as an actor.”
In today’s India, where the stock ticker scrolls across every smartphone screen and influencer culture sells dreams at a click, Bhav Bhagwan Che leaves viewers questioning the very nature of success and trust. Its story is a cautionary tale, the line between purpose and obsession is thinner than we think, and the cost of blind faith-whether in people, platforms, or promises, can be devastating.
And when the credits roll, one question stays, if money really is the new god, then what price are we willing to pay for our faith?
