Baksho Bondi
In Baksho Bondi, Maya lives with her husband, Sundar and their teenage son, Debu, in a dusty Kolkata suburb. She has several jobs but her world is turned upside down when her husband, who is suffering from PTSD, becomes a suspect in a murder investigation. To protect their family, Maya and Debu take drastic steps, while their family’s cohesion is put to the greatest test. Filmmakers and life partners, Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi, began their debut narrative fiction, Baksho Bondi with the image of a woman, a bicycle and a very sketchy outline of a story. They never set out to make an autobiographical film but in engaging with the story, it became a way of wrestling with aspects of Tanushree’s life.
Sister Midnight
Karan Kandhari’s debut film is an exploration of relationships that, in any form, bring their unique challenges, contradictions and absurdities. By focusing on a married couple in a specific setting, the narrative unfolds to reveal broader truths about human connection and the challenges of cohabitation. Sister Midnight has been around the world collecting massive accolades. It is produced by the BFI in London and was nominated for an Outstanding British Debut at the Baftas. The film also screened at Cannes as part of Directors’ Fortnight.
Ink-Stained Hand and the Missing Thumb
Ink-Stained Hand and the Missing Thumb by Yashasvi Juyal gained recognition after winning the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity grant in India through the Take Ten initiative, which provided mentorship and funding to bring his vision to life. The project received additional support from film critic and writer Anupama Chopra. Yashasvi’s body of work, including his short films, has been shaped by the idea of home. He is a mountain boy who grew up in Uttarakhand and closely saw the effects of migration, displacement, echoes, absence and loss, experiences that deeply inform his art
Sabar Bonda
Rohan Kanawade’s Sabar Bonda made history as the first Indian fiction feature to win the Grand Jury Prize, the highest honour at the Sundance Film Festival. The film is backed by an eminent slate of Executive Producers, including Nagraj Manjule, Nikkhil Advani, Saie Tamhankar, Vikramaditya Motwane and Jim Sarbh. Rohan showcases a unique narrative that bridges rural and urban experiences, offering a fresh perspective on queer lives in India. Drawing from his personal experiences, Rohan reimagines a period of his life in Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) by filming in his mother’s hometown, the very place where these emotions originated.
Secrets of a Mountain Serpent
During the 1999 Kargil War, in a remote Himalayan town emptied of men, a school teacher drifts through absence and quiet until a mysterious outsider unsettles her world. His arrival revives a myth of a waiting serpent in the river, stirring desire and memory in equal measure. Nidhi Saxena’s second feature, Secrets of a Mountain Serpent won the Biennale College Cinema fund, making Nidhi the first Indian woman to win it. The film opened the Biennale College Cinema program at the Venice Film Festival.
Words Platform Desk
Date 25.12.2025