By Kirti Kulhari is officially adding “producer” to her resume. Her debut feature as a producer, “Kinaare” (“Shores”), is set to premiere at the 15th Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF), which will open with Rima Das’ Berlin-awarded “Not a Hero.”
Kirti Kulhari in “Kinaare” (Credits: Variety)
The festival runs October 29 to November 1 at the Tibetan Children’s Village in Upper Dharamshala, with an online edition following from November 2 to 9 — and Kulhari’s first production has earned itself a slot at one of India’s most respected indie showcases.
Three Years in the Making
Kulhari is backing the film under her banner Kintsukuroi Films, alongside co-producers Abhishek Koka and Maansi Guptey. She has been candid about the road it took to get here, describing the journey as three years of persistence marked by repeated attempts, setbacks, learning, and growth.
Written and directed by brothers Akbar Quadri and Azam Quadri, the film stars Kulhari herself as Amina, a single woman in a village near Delhi who spends her days looking after her elderly parents and tending to the family home. Her routine is upended when her cousin brother Azam turns up without warning after 15 years away, reopening old wounds and bringing the family’s fractured past back into focus. As the two reconnect over lost years, the reunion helps Amina find peace with the past and acceptance of the present.
Stories That Make You Pause
Kulhari said she has always wanted to tell stories that make people pause and reflect, something she feels is much needed in today’s fast-paced world. She called “Kinaare” a conscious statement as her production debut, noting that while industry conversations revolve mainly around commercial success, she has always viewed cinema as a medium for unique stories — and this film is a reflection of that.
The cast includes Rajeev Siddhartha, Alka Amin and Ravi Taneja, with cinematography by Arjun Sundaram, music by Mohan Kannan, editing by Bakul Matiyani and sound design by Sanjay Chaturvedi.
Siddhartha, who plays Azam, said the film has a universal theme that will touch, move and slightly change anyone who watches it — a big claim, but exactly the kind of ambition indie cinema at DIFF is built on.
Source: Variety — read the full story there.
