Acclaimed actor Kirti Kulhari is stepping behind the camera for the first time as a producer with the upcoming feature film \u201cKinaare\u201d (translated as \u201cShores\u201d). The feature is set to make its highly anticipated premiere at the 15th edition of the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF). The prestigious festival, a staple of independent cinema in South Asia, will kick off its cinematic celebration with Rima Das\u2019s Berlin-awarded feature, \u201cNot a Hero,\u201d setting a high-caliber tone for the multi-day event.<\/p>\n
The 15th edition of the Dharamshala International Film Festival is scheduled to run from October 29 to November 1. As in previous years, the physical events will be hosted at the scenic Tibetan Children\u2019s Village in Upper Dharamshala, providing a picturesque backdrop for filmmakers, cinephiles, and industry professionals to gather. To accommodate global audiences and broaden its reach, the festival will follow up the physical screenings with an online edition, running from November 2 to November 9, allowing virtual attendees to experience a curated selection of the festival\u2019s offerings from home.<\/p>\n
At the heart of DIFF\u2019s domestic narrative this year is \u201cKinaare,\u201d a deeply personal project for Kulhari. Written and directed by the filmmaking duo of brothers Akbar Quadri and Azam Quadri, the film features Kulhari in the central role of Amina. Amina is portrayed as a single woman living in a quiet village near Delhi, spending her routine days diligently caring for her elderly parents and maintaining the family home. Her solitary and predictable existence is upended when her cousin, played by co-director Azam Quadri, arrives unannounced after a 15-year absence. <\/p>\n
His unexpected visit drags long-buried ghosts into the light, unearthing the profound events that once fractured and split the family apart. However, as the narrative progresses toward his eventual departure, Amina undergoes a transformative journey, ultimately making her peace with the past. The intimate cast is rounded out by Rajeev Siddhartha, Alka Amin, and Ravi Taneja, each bringing depth to the character-driven drama.<\/p>\n
Kulhari produced the film through her personal banner, Kintsukuroi Films, partnering with Abhishek Koka and Maansi Guptey, who served as co-producers on the independent venture. The production represents a milestone for Kulhari, who has built a respected career through memorable performances in various acclaimed films and streaming series.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on her maiden production venture, Kulhari shared insights into what drew her to the material and why she felt compelled to bring it to life on screen. She noted that the script resonated with her on a profound level, describing it as simple, heartwarming, and remarkably subtle. She drew parallels to Iranian cinema\u2014a cinematic tradition she has long admired\u2014stating that when a script with those delicate qualities landed in her hands, she knew she had to take the leap into production. She emphasized the importance of creative freedom, stating that she wanted to make the film independently, retaining her distinct vision and the collective artistic voice of the team.<\/p>\n
Rajeev Siddhartha, who plays a pivotal role alongside Kulhari, echoed her sentiments regarding the artistic integrity of the project. He pointed out that every actor dreams of receiving a script that respects the written word while simultaneously challenging them to explore the unspoken spaces between the lines. Working on \u201cKinaare\u201d gave him precisely that opportunity. Siddhartha expressed his belief that the film tackles a theme universal enough to touch, move, and subtly transform every viewer from within after they experience the story.<\/p>\n
Behind the camera, the film\u2019s creative crew comprises a talented group of technical professionals. Cinematographer Arjun Sundaram captured the atmospheric visuals of the village near Delhi, while composer Mohan Kannan crafted the musical landscape. The editing was handled by Bakul Matiyani, and the intricate sonic environment of the film was shaped by sound designer Sanjay Chaturvedi.<\/p>\n
While \u201cKinaare\u201d marks a major highlight for independent Indian cinema at the festival, the opening night honors belong to \u201cNot a Hero.\u201d The India-Singapore co-production is slated for its South Asia premiere at DIFF, following a celebrated international festival run. The film initially debuted earlier this year at the Berlinale, where it captured a Crystal Bear Special Mention within the Generation Kplus strand. Its momentum continued with a Best Indie Film win at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, alongside screenings at prominent international events in Zl\u00edn, Zurich, and Busan.<\/p>\n
Directed by Rima Das\u2014a filmmaker renowned for her distinct, naturalistic storytelling style in works like \u201cVillage Rockstars,\u201d \u201cBulbul Can Sing,\u201d \u201cTora\u2019s Husband,\u201d and \u201cVillage Rockstars 2\u201d\u2014\u201cNot a Hero\u201d tells a poignant coming-of-age story. The narrative centers on a young boy who is abruptly packed off from the bustling city to stay at his family\u2019s ancestral village. Placed in a vastly different environment, he crosses paths with a distant aunt, befriends a local horse, and falls in with a pack of neighborhood children. Through these encounters, he discovers a lifestyle far removed from screens and digital devices, ultimately finding a reservoir of inner courage he never knew he possessed. Das\u2019s extensive filmography, which has traveled to over 150 festivals and collected upwards of 75 awards globally, ensures that her latest work remains one of the most anticipated presentations of the festival.<\/p>\n
Beyond these prominent titles, the newly announced additions to the DIFF lineup introduce a diverse array of narrative features, documentaries, and short films from various regions and cultures. Don Palathara\u2019s \u201cThe Uncertainty Principle\u201d captures the aspirations and struggles of young people in Kochi who are chasing careers in the competitive world of cinema. Meanwhile, \u201cCool Ladies Club\u201d offers a collaborative documentary perspective, co-directed by Shilpi Gulati alongside ten women from Mumbai\u2019s eastern suburbs who collectively shaped the film over an intensive 18-month period.<\/p>\n
The festival slate also embraces international and cross-cultural collaborations. Among them is \u201cShadowbox,\u201d a Kolkata-set family drama co-directed by Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi, which previously debuted at the Berlinale. International additions include Rafael Kapelinski\u2019s Poland-Hungary title \u201cBudapest Diaries\u201d and Eimi Imanishi\u2019s Western Sahara-set feature \u201cNomad Shadow,\u201d expanding the geographical and thematic breadth of the festival\u2019s programming.<\/p>\n
These fresh announcements join an already robust initial lineup revealed earlier by the festival organizers. That initial wave featured notable works such as Gurvinder Singh\u2019s Locarno title \u201cRehmat,\u201d an India-France co-production that intricately weaves together three distinct stories set in present-day Punjab. Another notable addition is \u201cTermite,\u201d a short film set against the backdrop of 1990s Old Delhi that marks the debut fiction venture of Oscar-nominated documentarian Shaunak Sen. The lineup also boasts international critical darlings like Oliver Laxe\u2019s Cannes-winning feature \u201cSir\u0101t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Further enriching the initial selections are Sompot Chidgasornpongse\u2019s Cannes-debuting Thai family pilgrimage drama \u201c9 Temples to Heaven,\u201d Sara Dosa\u2019s Iceland-set documentary exploration \u201cTime and Water,\u201d and R. Gowtham\u2019s Berlin-bowing grief drama \u201cMembers of the Problematic Family.\u201d Music and performance find a place in the schedule with Dennis Harvey and Lars Lov\u00e9n\u2019s Irish folk music documentary \u201cCeltic Utopia.\u201d Additionally, Samreen Farooqui and Shabani Hassanwalia\u2019s documentary \u201cThe Ordinary Star\u201d follows actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui as he studies the real-life occupant of the room he used while shooting \u201cStar,\u201d a segment directed by Dibakar Banerjee for the 2013 anthology film \u201cBombay Talkies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Founded by filmmakers Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, the Dharamshala International Film Festival continues its tradition of supporting and nurturing emerging cinematic voices. True to this mission, this year\u2019s edition will host its dedicated fellowship program. The program will provide mentorship to seven selected fellows, who will receive guidance from seasoned industry mentors, including Bhutanese director Dechen Roder alongside Indian independent filmmakers Umesh Kulkarni and Dominic Sangma.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Acclaimed actor Kirti Kulhari is stepping behind the camera for the first time as a producer with the upcoming feature film \u201cKinaare\u201d (translated as \u201cShores\u201d). The feature is set to make its highly anticipated premiere at the 15th edition of the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF). The prestigious festival, a staple of independent cinema in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2886,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[728],"tags":[729,275,28,3991,17,754,3990,3988,3989,2598,1227,730,731,2680,979,980,968],"class_list":["post-2887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asian-cinema-and-performing-arts","tag-asian-cinema","tag-culture","tag-debut","tag-dharamshala","tag-festival","tag-film","tag-kinaare","tag-kirti","tag-kulhari","tag-lineup","tag-makes","tag-movies","tag-performing-arts","tag-producer","tag-star","tag-studded","tag-unveils"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2887\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}