Langha Phobia is a family drama/comedy dealing with the tangled interplay between culture, marriage and gender. The film teases open taboo issues surrounding generational and geographic culture transitions with humour and wit - all the while being a beautiful encapsulation of Fijian culture and the migrant experience.

Set in Fiji and Australia, the film follows the story of Gopendra (Gopi) and his wife, Shanti. Soon the audience realises something is seriously wrong with Gopi’s household, and the blame game begins.

The unique strength of the film lies in its ability to weave together the many cultural factors that lead to the core McGuffin of the film: the mysterious and ridiculed “Langha Phobia.”

“Langha” is the local Fijian- Hindi dialect for the traditional Hindi ‘lehenga’ – a type of petticoat or ankle-length skirt from the Indian subcontinent – exclusively worn by women.

In the film, this wordplay is used to symbolise the sometimes sorrowful, sometimes dramatic, and sometimes hilarious nature of Gopi’s condition – a condition not helped by the hallucinogenic and side-effect-prone medications of Gopi’s quack doctor.

Spurred by a village of gossiping friends and family, Gopi’s condition worsens as the film gradually unfolds the story of how a family can end up on the brink of destruction by the very customs they hold dear. A story about what is swept under the rug in traditional migrant households. A story of generational lies and internalised oppression. A story of leaving things unsaid until it is too late.

Ultimately, the film concludes with hope. Hope that the perpetual cycle of shattered families can be stopped – if, and only if the truth is spoken.