After getting laid off from his job of 30 years, RK Dandekar goes on a meaning-of-life journey, as he searches for his beloved Volvo that was traded away by his well-intentioned family.
Days with Dandekar depicts the journey of RK Dandekar, a recent retiree who is seeking deeper meaning, purpose, and connection in his life. RK Dandekar is a 69-year-old Indian immigrant who built his American dream from the ground up, yielding the comfortable life he always wanted - a job he enjoys, successful daughters, and a wife he admires. But when his company suddenly forces him into early retirement, he must confront a frightening question: what do I do now? RK turns to his family, wanting to be close, to find a connection, only to find that they don’t have time for him. So he wanders around town in his beloved Volvo, getting free samples at the local stores. Thinking a new car will cheer up their father, RK's daughters trade in his cherished Volvo. RK is devastated, and rushes to the used car salesman to get it back, only to find that it’s been sold. Panicked, RK races all over town searching for the car, posting flyers, trying to find any leads he can, determined to get it back. As he searches, he is confronted by a strange cast of characters that remind him of his life's journey. Through his day-long quest, he comes to realize that he can’t relive the past, he can only move forward. Days with Dandekar is a story of redemption and hope, and redefining one’s self when all seems lost.
Leena Pendharkar is an award-winning writer and director. Her most recent work is the television movie, A Date with Deception for Mar Vista/Lifetime, and two episodes of the kids’ show, Hello Jack! for Apple TV Plus, for which she was nominated for a Children's and Family Emmy Award.
She premiered her sophomore independent film, 20 Weeks, at the Los Angeles Film Festival. It was described as an “intimate, compassionate take on abortion” by the Los Angeles Times, and was released theatrically in 10 cities in April of 2018, and on Hulu and a number of other platforms. Leena is an alum of the Warner Brothers, CBS, and Sony Diverse Directors programs.
Leena has also written/directed several-award winning short films, including her most recent Tiny Joy which played in many a number of film festivals, including Bentonville, and was recently released on Omeleto and Shorted. Leena is also an Associate Professor at LMU’s School of Film + Television, and has an MFA in Screenwriting from UC-Riverside, Palm Desert.
Actor - Iqbal Theba
Actor - Sakina Jaffrey
Actor - Kondabalu
