An elderly life caught between real struggles and reel popularity

In an age where mobile phones have reached every corner of rural India, filmmaker Raju Majumdar’s Phonibabu Viral offers a humorous yet poignant look at fame in the digital era. Set in a modern-day village, the film follows 75-year-old Phonibabu, a man who has spent his life struggling to provide for his family, only to find himself sidelined in old age.

Once the backbone of his household, Phonibabu is now seen as a burden by both family and neighbours—a reality familiar to many elderly people today.The narrative takes an unexpected turn when Phonibabu suddenly goes viral, transforming him into a “virtual star” overnight. "Does online fame restore his dignity or merely highlight the gap between his reel-life popularity and real-life neglect is this film all about," said the director. Starring Subhasish Mukherjee, Roshni Bhattacharya, Kharaj Mukherjee and Kanchan Mullick, the film gently satirises society’s obsession with virality.