Richa Chadha, Ali Fazals Pushing Buttons Studios boards Secrets of a Mountain Serpent

Starring Trimala Adhikari and Adil Hussain, the film is about to have its world premiere on the Venice Film Festival 2025. Set in a distant Himalayan city throughout the Nineties, the movie tells the intimate story of Barkha (Adhikari), a schoolteacher whose husband is posted on the border.

“In a place where most men are gone and days echo with silence, Barkha finds herself drawn to Manik Guho (Hussain), a mysterious outsider who disrupts the fragile balance of waiting, restraint, and myth,” learn the official logline.

Fazal and Chadda, who launched Pushing Buttons Studios in 2023 and produced acclaimed drama Girls Will Be Girls, stated they have been instantly drawn to the story of Secrets of a Mountain Serpent.

“This is a story rooted in myth and yet is startlingly relevant today. At PBS, we believe in backing storytellers who take creative risks and Nidhi has crafted something singular, poetic, and soulful,” they added.

Saxena, who additionally wrote the movie, stated the film is about girls who select to danger all the things and observe their needs, shedding the burden of moralities imposed upon them by the world.

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“I was looking for kindred collaborators and this feels like a meeting of minds and hearts. It also feels like we no longer need to borrow men’s voices to tell our stories. We have our own voice, which is strong, with femininity,” she added.

The challenge was chosen and funded by Venice’s Biennale College Cinema program. Saxena’s debut function, Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman, premiered on the 2024 Busan International Film Festival to nice acclaim. The Venice Film Festival is scheduled from August 27 to September 6.