Indian filmmaker Nidhi Saxena has wrapped production and unveiled a first look for “Secrets of a Mountain Serpent,” her sophomore feature that will world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
The project was selected and funded by Venice’s Biennale College Cinema program and awarded a €200,000 ($234,500) production grant. “Hotel Salvation” (2016) was the last Indian film to be funded by the initiative. “Cactus Pears,” which was developed at the 2022-23 Biennale College Cinema program, went on to win the Grand Jury Prize at the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance earlier this year.
“Secrets of a Mountain Serpent,” which completed principal photography in the mystical landscapes of Uttarakhand, India, explores the lives of women left behind in a remote hill town during the aftermath of war, drawing from an ancient local legend about a snake deity waiting for a promised bride.
“This film lives in the silences,” Saxena says. “In the way a breath lingers. In the tension of unsaid things.”
The story centers on Barkha (Trimala Adhikari), a teacher whose husband is away fighting in the Kargil War. Her life becomes disrupted by the arrival of mysterious stranger Manik Guho, played by acclaimed actor Adil Hussain (“Life of Pi,” “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”). The cast also includes Pushpendra Singh and Richa Meena in what the production describes as an “enigmatic tapestry” where folklore and reality blur.
“Working with Adil made me realize how an artist can change the entire atmosphere—like altering the air itself,” Saxena says. “He shapes his body to transcend the physical, creating something spiritual, almost mystical. During the climax scene, the entire crew stood frozen – no one breathed. The moment was so fragile, so electric, that my cinematographer Vikas Urs and I signaled ‘cut’ in silence, afraid we’d shatter what Adil had conjured.”
The production marks Saxena’s continued collaboration with acclaimed Sri Lankan filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundara, winner of the 2005 Cannes Camera d’Or, who returns as producer after working on her debut feature “Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman,” which had its world premiere at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival, where it received a grant from the Asian Cinema Fund.
“Through static wide compositions and the tension of stillness, she builds an atmosphere thick with anticipation and restraint,” Jayasundara observes of Saxena’s directorial approach.
“The kind of cinema I want to create often leans toward the experimental, and in an industry like this, having the strong support of a deeply respected director like Vimukthi becomes essential,” Saxena reflects on their creative partnership. “He helps shape the film, not just as a producer, but as a creative ally.”
Key crew includes production designer Avni Goyal, editor Saman Alvitigala, colorist Mahak Gupta, and sound designer Neeraj Gera. The film is a co-production between India, Italy, and Sri Lanka.
The 82nd edition of Venice, which opens with Paolo Sorrentino’s “La Grazia,” will run Aug. 27-Sept. 6. The lineup will be announced on July 22.
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