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NOTICE ME NOW

A Short Film

synopsis

IMDb

A newly relocated teenager, Aliena, struggles to adjust to her new school. A popular girl from her class, Sheena, intervenes when Aliena is bullied in the cafeteria and invites her to join their group. Not everyone is welcoming and happy with Aliena’s inclusion in the group.

Halfway through the academic term, a new girl joins her class. Aliena quickly strikes a bond with her new classmate due to their common past. But in doing so, Aliena unknowingly oversteps the unspoken rule of Sheena’s group. The friendships start to unravel, triggering insecurities and raising concerns about how far they will go to hurt each other.

Notice Me Now offers an unfiltered view of today’s urban teenage lives, revealing how the need to belong and social media influence, intertwined with the teenager’s unsupervised actions, can quickly spiral out of control in this hyper-connected world.

GET EXCLUSIVE INVITE FOR SCREENING OF THE SHORT FILM. CLICK HERE

Main Characters

ALIENA

A shy yet determined teenager who struggles to adjust to her social life in a new school.

SHEENA

An outgoing and image-conscious high schooler, always chasing the spotlight.

SYD

A charismatic teenager, keen to forge new friendships, yet driven by a hidden agenda.

ADYA

A self-assured teenager who handles challenging situations with resilience and ease.

AYESHA

A thoughtful and often conflicted teen wrestling with questions of right and wrong.

raw stills

Directed by

Aakash Prabhakar

When Sarika first shared the story with me, I was immediately drawn in by how personal it felt, and how quietly urgent. At its core, Notice Me Now is about the tender violence of adolescence: how desperately teenagers seek to be seen, to belong, to survive the emotional terrain of their own becoming.

From the start, I knew we couldn’t approach this film with assumptions. We spent time with teenagers – listening to them, laughing with them, running workshops to understand their language, their friendships, their peer dynamics, and the deep undercurrent of pressure they face in today’s hyper-connected world. Their perspectives shaped everything from dialogue to blocking, from costume choices to silences.

Visually and emotionally, we wanted to stay close — not just with the camera, but with our intent. We aimed for intimacy without intrusion, for authenticity without performance.

 

Notice Me Now isn’t just a film about teenage life. It’s about the terrifying weight of needing to be validated by a world that moves too fast and looks too shallow. In an age where identity is shaped as much by Instagram stories as real ones, we hope this film becomes a quiet nudge — a space for parents, teachers, friends, and young people themselves to reflect, to talk, to feel seen. This story matters to us. I hope it matters to you too.

About Aakash

Directed by

Aakash Prabhakar

When Sarika first shared the story with me, I was immediately drawn in by how personal it felt — and how quietly urgent. At its core, Notice Me Now is about the tender violence of adolescence: how desperately teenagers seek to be seen, to belong, to survive the emotional terrain of their own becoming.

From the start, I knew we couldn’t approach this film with assumptions. We spent time with teenagers — listening to them, laughing with them, running workshops to understand their language, their friendships, their peer dynamics, and the deep undercurrent of pressure they face in today’s hyper-connected world. Their perspectives shaped everything — from dialogue to blocking, from costume choices to silences.

Visually and emotionally, we wanted to stay close — not just with the camera, but with our intent. We aimed for intimacy without intrusion, for authenticity without performance.

 

Notice Me Now isn’t just a film about teenage life. It’s about the terrifying weight of needing to be validated by a world that moves too fast and looks too shallow. In an age where identity is shaped as much by Instagram stories as real ones, we hope this film becomes a quiet nudge — a space for parents, teachers, friends, and young people themselves to reflect, to talk, to feel seen. This story matters to us. I hope it matters to you too.

About Aakash

the crew

Made with empathy and sincerity, this film shines a light on parenting, teens and changing family dynamics in urban life

Sarika Jadhav

Scriptwriter

Sarika’s script vividly portrays teen social life, brimming with raw emotion and authenticity

Read More

Ashwin Arvind

Editor

Ashwin shaped an impactful narrative to create rhythm, emotion, and clarity in the film

Read More

Yash Dubey

Cinematographer

Yash captured the visuals through a masterful blend of lights, motion and the camera

Read More

Rakshit Thantry

Music Composer

Rakshit’s music amplifies the film’s emotional arc with his contemporary composition.

Read More

Nivitha Muralikrishna

Production Designer

Nivitha’s creativity shaped a vibrant world that echoed the script’s raw realism

Read More

Anand Ramachandran

Sound Design

Anand’s sound design brings authenticity, deepening the film’s message and tone.

Read More

the crew

Made with empathy and sincerity, this film shines a light on parenting, teens and changing family dynamics in urban life

Sarika Jadhav

Scriptwriter

Sarika’s script vividly portrays teen social life, brimming with raw emotion and authenticity

Read More

Yash Dubey

Cinematographer

Yash captured the visuals of the script through a masterful blend of lights, motion and the camera

Read More

Nivitha

Production Designer

Nivitha’s creativity shaped a vibrant world that echoed the script’s raw realism

Read More

Ashwin Arvind

Editor

Ashwin shaped an impactful narrative to create rhythm, emotion, and clarity in the film 

Read More

Rakshit Thantry

Music Composer

Rakshit’s music amplifies the film’s emotional arc with his contemporary sound design.

Read More

Anand Ramachandran

Sound Design

Anand’s sound design brings authenticity, deepening the film’s message and tone.

Read More

NOTICE ME NOW

NameRoleNotable Works
Aakash PrabhakarDirectorFreddie’s Piano, Memories of a Kiss, Long Drive
Sarika JadhavWriterNotice Me Now
Sarika JadhavProducerNotice Me Now, Co-producer ‘Ustad Bantoo’
Yash DubeyDirector of PhotographyMic Drop, Grief, Antihero, A Realm of Return
Nivitha MuralikrishnaProduction DesignerRamayana Part 1, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Perfect Couple
Ashwin ArvindEditorVirundhu/The Feast, Freddie’s Piano
Rakshit ThantryMusic ComposerJL50, Namdev Bhau: In Search of Silence
Anand RamachandranSound DesignerPremam, Arjun Reddy, Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru
Field Value
Project Type Short
Runtime 24 minutes 56 seconds
Completion Date October 27, 2025
Country of Origin India
Country of Filming India
Language English
Shooting Format RED RAW
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Film Color Color
First-time Filmmaker No
Student Project No

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notice me now

A SHORT FILM

ON PARENTING, TEENS, AND CHANGING FAMILY DYNAMICS IN URBAN LIFE

wish to receive an exclusive invite for screening of this film?

Aakash Prabhakar

Director

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Aakash Prabhakar is an actor, filmmaker, and theatre director from India. An alumnus of The Drama School Mumbai and the New York Film Academy, Aakash has built a diverse and impactful career in both film and theatre. His recent work includes acting in an official adaptation of Richard Linklaters “Tape” and a featurette called “Memories of a kiss” which is set to premiere in the New York Indian Film Festival in June 2025 and has directed a short film – “Notice me now”. Aakash is also deeply committed to theatre education. Over the past few years, he has consulted several schools and partnered with institutions like the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) to integrate performing arts into student curricula. Aakash collaborates with storytellers to bring meaningful and relatable stories via theatre, short films and feature films under his production house ‘Here And Now’.

Sarika Jadhav

Scriptwriter

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Sarika Jadhav is the writer of “Notice Me Now”, a short film on parenting, teens, and changing family dynamics in urban life. A light bulb moment in her life, when she read an article in ‘The Week’ on rising cases of cyberbullying among teens in India, she felt the urgency to start a conversation on teenage online toxic behaviors through a story. Her life experiences and observations of teenage behaviors as a mother of two teens helped her hone the story. The insights she gained by interacting with people from different cultures through her stays in various parts of the world, along with her family, enriched her writing. A firm believer in creating socially conscious cinema as a means to spark conversations between respective stakeholders, Sarika has pivoted from her digital marketing role to build an independent platform, ‘Indieink Films’, to create and support socially conscious films in Bangalore, India.

Ashwin Arvind

Editor

Imdb

Ashwin Arvind is a film graduate from University of Westminster in London, UK. He works primarily as an editor, while also directing, writing, and producing independent films. His work has been featured in multiple independent projects that highlight social themes and urban realities. Ashwin Arvind is known for Quine (2012), Boom Bang A Bang (2015), Hippopotamus (2018), Nirvana Inn (2019) and The Feast (2024).

Yash Dubey

Cinematographer

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Yash Dubey is a cinematographer whose creative journey began with a foundation in photography, studying under the legendary Raghu Rai. Specializing in visual storytelling, Yash has contributed his skills to major productions in both the Canadian and U.S. industries, working on acclaimed shows such as The Boys and The Handmaid’s Tale. His portfolio includes commercial work for top brands like Budweiser, Uber, and CIBC Bank, as well as music videos, documentaries, and short films. Yash is a proud member of both the U.S. and Canadian film unions, IATSE and NABET 700, and continues to bring powerful stories to life through his versatile and dynamic cinematography.

Rakshit Thantry

Music Composer

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Rakshit, an acclaimed Music Composer and Sound Designer, brings 12+ years of experience across feature films, web series, branded content, and interactive media. He crafts emotionally driven aural storytelling, blending cinematic music composition with immersive sound design, and often integrates production sound elements to heighten narrative authenticity. As one half of the composer duo PrajaTantra and founder of Keydroid Records, he collaborates with top brands and production houses worldwide, delivering a signature mix of creativity, brand integration, and technical depth.

Nivitha

Production Designer

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Nivitha is a production designer with a background in architecture and dance, bringing a layered, movement-driven perspective to visual storytelling. She began her career as an architect in India, working for six years before transitioning into film. After completing her Master’s in Production Design at the National Film and Television School, UK, she has continued to explore storytelling through space and design. She balances her time across disciplines—designing for independent projects and working on large-scale features like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Wake Up Dead Man, the third film in the Knives Out series. Earlier this year, she received the BFDG Peter Lamont Spotlighting New Talent Award. Over the last five years, the films she has designed have been recognised at festivals and awards worldwide. With a foundation in design and a lifelong connection to performance, Nivitha is passionate about blending space, movement, and narrative in everything she creates.

Anand Ramachandran

Sound Design

Imdb

Anand Ramachandran is an audiographer whose career in sound began as an assistant sound engineer at Krishna Digi Design, a music production studio owned by the legendary playback singer K. S. Chithra. He later honed his craft as an ADR engineer at Four Frames Sound Company, contributing ADR work for many leading Tamil films, and went on to assist acclaimed audiographer M. R. Rajakrishnan.

Over the years, Anand has built a versatile portfolio, contributing to sound design and mixing for numerous theatrical releases as well as projects across major OTT platforms, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, Sony LIV, and Zee5. Currently freelancing, he continues to push creative boundaries in sound, delivering rich and impactful audio experiences for cinema and digital content.

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