Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal have come aboard as producers on “Secrets of a Mountain Serpent” through their banner Pushing Buttons Studios, with the feature set to make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
The film is directed by Nidhi Saxena, who won Venice’s Biennale College Fund grant for the project. Saxena previously helmed “Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman,” which premiered at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival.
“Secrets of a Mountain Serpent” is co-produced with Forest Flower Films, the banner of Cannes Camera d’Or winner Vimukthi Jayasundara. Set in a remote Himalayan town during the 1990s, the intimate drama follows Barkha (Trimala Adhikari), a schoolteacher whose husband is stationed at the border. In an environment where most men are absent and silence permeates daily life, Barkha becomes drawn to Manik Guho (Adil Hussain), a mysterious outsider who disrupts the delicate equilibrium of waiting, restraint and local mythology.
Chadha and Fazal launched Pushing Buttons Studios to champion authentic, emotionally driven storytelling. Their “Girls Will Be Girls,” directed by Shuchi Talati, won two awards at Sundance last year.
“We were immediately drawn to Nidhi’s lyrical vision. 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,” Chadha and Fazal said.
Saxena, who also wrote the screenplay, added: “This film is about women chose to risk everything and follow their desires, shedding the burden of moralities imposed upon them by the world. 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.”
The production has completed principal photography and is currently in post-production ahead of its Venice bow.