Indian writer Anurag Kashyap has joined Deepak Rauniyal’s Pooja Sir as an executive producer, and Channel 4 will broadcast the film in the UK and Ireland.
The film debuted at the Venice Film Festival’s Horizons Strand Competition earlier this year, followed by screenings in Hamburg and Busan, and will next be screened at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. The piece is inspired by real-life events that took place during racial protests involving the Madhesi community in southern Nepal in 2015. In the movie, two boys are kidnapped in a border town in Nepal, and Inspector Pooja is sent from Kathmandu to solve the case. However, upon her arrival, political unrest and violent protests erupt, forcing her to veer off course and seek help from Mamata, a local Madhesi policewoman. The women attempt to solve the case by setting aside systemic discrimination and pushing against everyday misogyny.
The cast stars Asha Magrati in the lead role and includes Nepali film superstars Dayahan Rai, Nikita Chandak, Richa Sharma, Vijay Baral, Gaumaya Gurung, Aarti Mandal, Ghanashyam Mishra, Prameshwar Kumar. Jha, Pashupati Rai and Niraj Shrestha will also star.
The film will be produced by Rauniyal and Magrati of Aadi Films, Ram Babu Gurung of Baasuri Films, and Alan R. Milligan of Tannhauser Gate. It is also funded by the Norwegian Film Institute Solfond.
The producers had previously sold the film to ARP Sélection in France, Trigon-film in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, and The Tea Folks Films and Byankatesh Entertainment in Nepal. Channel 4 has acquired linear and on-demand rights for the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. Penny Black Media handles airline and in-flight sales rights. Based in Los Angeles, The Film Collaborative handles festivals and bookings around the world.
Kashyap’s films screened at Cannes include ‘Kennedy’ (2023), ‘Psycho Raman’ (2016), ‘Ugly’ (2013), ‘Bombay Talkies’ (2013) and ‘Gangster’. Of Wasseypur” (2012). Additionally, several films produced by him include ‘Masaan’ (2015), ‘The Lunchbox’ (2013), ‘Monsoon Shootouts’ (2013), ‘The Congress’ (2013), and ‘Udaan’. appeared on. (2010).
Launiard’s first feature, Highway, premiered at the 2012 Berlinale, where he played Locarno, and his second feature, White Sun, in 2016 won awards at festivals in Venice, Palm Springs, Fribourg, and Singapore. . He is also an alumnus of Berlinale Talent, and his short film “Four Nights” was screened at Berlinale Shorts in 2022.
“It is a matter of great pride for me to be a part of Pooja Sir. It is not only an emotional and relevant genre film that speaks to me, but I am sure it will speak to the Indian audience as well.” Kashyap said. “I was a fan of Deepak’s ‘White Sun’ and was looking forward to seeing what he would do next. [Bahadur Bham, director of Berlinale title “Shambhala”] These are two exciting voices from Nepal, and they are pioneers of the new Nepali cinema that is coming. ”
Julietta Bowyer of Penny Black Media added: “Deepak Rauniyar’s ‘Puja, Sir’ takes a pivotal historical event and turns it into a story that is both deeply personal and universally relatable. It focuses on the impact of these events on humans. In doing so, this film offers a rich story that resonates with audiences around the world.”
said Jeffrey Winter, Co-Executive Director of The Film Collaborative. “We are thrilled to be part of the team that brings ‘Pooja, Sir’ to festivals and audiences around the world, within the context of a global film environment that is not often seen on screen. As a sophisticated story layered with clear and powerful social justice and feminist themes, this film is a perfect fit for our mission and the core reasons why we are passionate about film.”
The film will be released in Nepal on March 14, 2025, and will be released theatrically in over 200 screens across the country, jointly distributed by Tea Folks Film and Byankatesh Entertainment.
