The film stars non-professional actors Venkatesh Chavan and Jhangir Badshah, as well as Bollywood veteran Nana Patekar and newcomer Ayesha Mohan.

The story revolves around a young janitor working at a hotel in the port city of Panjim, India, who sees from his perch in a mango tree a luxuriant garden and shimmering pool hidden behind a wall.

Not content to simply dream about a different life, Venkatesh is inquisitive about the home's inhabitants and his curiosity changes the shape of his future.

[2] He said that though they had a draft in hand while beginning the shooting, his goal was to let the environment (the actors, their experiences and observations) shape the story.

The crew included producer Kate Noble, creative consultant Xavier Leplae, whose film I'm Bobby was shot in the Indian state of Goa.

"[2] Barry Poltermann, who edited The Pool and American Movie, continued his association with Smith with this film.

[5] While referring to this cinematic endeavour as an experiment, he felt that the journey to India was crucial in clearing up his creative space to work.

While one of them went to Mumbai on the pretext of buying karate uniforms and never returned,[5] a young girl could not obtain permission for leave from school.

[3] After a casting director, who had previously worked with Ayesha Mohan, sent them her details, she was chosen to play the main actress.

Actress Mohan helped him approach Anurag Kashyap, who directed her in the Bollywood film Black Friday (2004).

[5] 20-year-old Venkatesh Chavan, who played the role of the young boy fascinated by the pool, originally hailed from Mundargi town in Gadag district of Karnataka.

In January 2006, when he was roaming on the streets of Vasco da Gama, Smith met him, introduced himself and asked him to act in his film.

The website consensus reads: "Beautifully crafted with loosely drawn characters and a lilting, natural pace, Chris Smith's The Pool features a universal message to which everyone can relate.