Swapna Adep

Swapna Adep’s “Majhi Prarthana” (2025) isn’t your run-of-the-mill drama—it’s a gut punch. The story centers around a small-town teacher, Vaidehi, who’s pretty much the backbone of her crumbling community. She’s got her hands full: juggling a dysfunctional school system, nosy neighbors, her own shattered dreams, and the relentless pressure to just “fit in.” The village itself is almost a character—dusty lanes, ancient banyan trees, and a bunch of folks stuck in their ways. Vaidehi’s life takes a sharp left when she stumbles upon a battered old prayer book buried in her school’s storeroom. Weirdly, the prayers inside seem to echo her own secret hopes and heartbreaks. As she starts reading from it, the people around her—her students, her brooding husband, even the grumpy old headmaster—begin to change in subtle ways. No magic wands or miracles, just small, almost invisible shifts in attitude. But hey, sometimes that’s all it takes, right? The film doesn’t shy away from tough stuff: broken marriages, young kids dropping out to work, women squashed by tradition. Still, there’s this undercurrent of hope, like a stubborn weed pushing through cracks in concrete. The soundtrack? Let’s just say it’ll stick in your head for days. And the cinematography—gorgeous, sun-baked, and totally authentic. By the end, you’re rooting for Vaidehi, flaws and all, and maybe thinking about your own version of a prayer book hidden somewhere inside you.