NEW DELHI — In a landmark development for independent South Asian cinema, Stenzin Tankyong’s eagerly anticipated debut feature film, Kakthet (translated as Idiot), has been crowned the winner of the inaugural INR 40 lakh ($42,000) feature film co-production fund. The prestigious fund is a collaborative initiative launched by the prominent cultural platform Humans of Cinema and Safarnaama Pictures.
Set against the breathtaking, high-altitude, and often unforgiving landscapes of the remote Himalayan region of Ladakh, the Ladakhi-language project emerged victorious from a fiercely competitive pool of nearly 400 entries. Following an exhaustive and rigorous screening and evaluation process conducted over several months, Kakthet secured the top prize, bolstering its momentum as it prepares to transition from development to physical production.
Main Facts: The Vision, The Narrative, and The Production
At its core, Kakthet explores the precarious destiny of a government-run school nestled in a remote Ladakhi community. The survival of both the educational institution and the local cultural ecosystem hinges entirely on an improbable catalyst: a notoriously reluctant 10th-grade student who has never managed to pass a single academic exam in his life. Facing imminent closure, the school’s teachers are forced into a desperate and humorous mission—they must attempt the impossible task of saving the school by trying to save the one student who seems resolutely determined not to be saved.
The film is steered by Stenzin Tankyong, a visionary filmmaker who has spent the last eight years dedicating his artistic practice to bringing the unique stories, sweeping landscapes, and distinct cultural textures of Ladakh to international audiences.
The production muscle behind Kakthet matches its creative ambition. The film is produced by industry veterans Ritu Sarin and Rajesh Thanickan, alongside French co-producers La Belle Affaire Productions.
- Ritu Sarin brings a career spanning over three decades. She is the co-founder of White Crane Films and the co-founder of the celebrated Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF).
- Rajesh Thanickan boasts an impressive international footprint. His recent production credits include Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound (executive produced by Martin Scorsese, which premiered at Cannes in 2025), Santosh (Cannes 2024), and Our Share of Sand, which premiered at the 2026 Venice International Film Festival’s International Critics’ Week, where it walked away with the coveted Audience Award.
Chronology: From Regional Concept to International Acclaim
The journey of Kakthet has been marked by a steady accumulation of critical validation and international industry interest long before securing the Humans of Cinema and Safarnaama Pictures grant.
- The Short Film Foundation (2019–2023): Tankyong built his directorial foundation with critically acclaimed short films. His 2019 short Sekool and his 2023 short Last Days of Summer screened at elite global festivals, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, and the Dharamshala International Film Festival. These projects laid the groundwork for his cinematic language, which blends local authenticity with universal emotional resonance.
- WAVES Film Bazaar (2025): Kakthet gained significant industry traction when it won the Co-Production Features Grant at the WAVES Film Bazaar, signaling its viability for cross-border collaboration.
- Asian Project Market (2026): The project was subsequently selected as one of only 30 global projects for the prestigious Asian Project Market, held annually alongside the Busan International Film Festival.
- Recce and Proof of Concept (July 2026): Demonstrating swift pre-production momentum, the creative team completed a rigorous three-week reconnaissance trip across the Changthang region and Leh in July 2026. This trip served a dual purpose: traditional location scouting and production planning, alongside capturing vital visual and sonic material to craft a compelling proof-of-concept teaser.
- Current Status: The screenplay is currently in its fourth draft. With principal cast members, key crew personnel, and primary shooting locations locked in, the production team is aggressively focusing on securing additional financing and solidifying international co-production partnerships across Asia, Australia, and Europe.
Supporting Data and Institutional Framework
The Humans of Cinema x Safarnaama Pictures Co-Production Fund was conceptualized to bridge a glaring financial and systemic gap in South Asian independent filmmaking—specifically targeting regional languages and stories originating outside dominant commercial hubs.
- Founders: The fund was established by Harshit Bansal, founder of Humans of Cinema, and Nazim Momin, a U.S.-based engineer and producer who founded Safarnaama Pictures.
- Mentorship and Executive Production: Acclaimed filmmakers Vishal Bhardwaj and Shaunak Sen are attached to the inaugural fund as mentors. Notably, Shaunak Sen (the visionary director behind the Oscar-nominated documentary All That Breathes) is also serving as the executive producer on Kakthet.
- The Jury: The inaugural selection committee comprised an elite panel of film professionals: celebrated actor Imran Khan, acclaimed filmmaker Arati Kadav, All That Breathes producer Aman Mann, and veteran festival director Aseem Chhabra.
- Financial Scope: The INR 40 lakh ($42,000) direct cash injection serves as critical seed and production capital, designed to help independent filmmakers retain artistic control while assembling larger, multi-territory financing packages.
Official Responses and Perspectives
The announcement of Kakthet as the inaugural winner has elicited passionate responses from the founders, mentors, jury members, and the winning director alike.
Harshit Bansal, founder of Humans of Cinema, reflected on the intensity of the evaluation process:
"The past few months working on this fund have been both unbelievably challenging and incredibly rewarding. We were pleasantly surprised by the sheer number of brilliant projects we received from across the country, and we’re even more convinced how desperately initiatives like these are needed in South Asia right now. It was definitely a testing process, but we couldn’t be happier with the result. Stenzin is an exciting new filmmaker with a distinct voice, and we’re excited to be an ally in his journey of making his debut feature."
Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj emphasized the cultural necessity of supporting non-mainstream narratives:
"Stories like ‘Kakthet’ remind us why it is important to create opportunities for voices that emerge from outside the mainstream. I’m glad to be associated with this initiative and look forward to seeing Stenzin Tankyong bring his vision to life."
Shaunak Sen praised the tonal balance of Tankyong’s screenplay:
"The ‘Kakthet’ script mobilizes lightness, absurdity and humor to tell the story of a slow lamentation underwriting several lives in Ladakh. The story of Singay and the motley group of students and teachers always stays curious and sensitive, while never lapsing into judgement. I look forward to supporting the team in realising this project."
Jury member Arati Kadav expressed admiration for the broader pool of applicants:
"I want to congratulate the Humans of Cinema and Safarnaama team who have worked tirelessly to create this fund. I was amazed at the passion, rigour and love they’ve put in selecting the winner. I want to congratulate the winning film and above all, I want to applaud all the filmmakers who applied. So many stories represented fearlessness and fierceness, and I was really inspired by them."
An appreciative Stenzin Tankyong highlighted the profound significance of receiving domestic validation for a regional Ladakhi story:
"I’m delighted that ‘Kakthet’ has been selected for the inaugural HoC x Safarnaama Pictures Co-Production Fund. For independent filmmakers in India, finding support for stories rooted in our own regions, languages and lived experiences can be challenging. The fact that this support comes from within our own country makes this recognition especially meaningful for us. For a film in Ladakhi, grounded in the culture and realities of Ladakh, this support offers real encouragement to tell a story that might otherwise struggle to reach the screen and a wider audience. Initiatives like this create valuable opportunities for newer voices in independent cinema, bringing the diverse cultures and experiences of our country to wider audiences. I’m glad Kakthet (Idiot) is part of this first edition, and I thank HoC, Safarnaama Pictures, the jury and mentors for helping us take the film forward."
Implications for the Future of Independent South Asian Cinema
The triumph of Kakthet and the successful rollout of the Humans of Cinema and Safarnaama Pictures fund point to a broader, highly encouraging structural shift within the South Asian independent film ecosystem.
For decades, regional cinema industries within India—particularly micro-industries operating in geographically isolated areas like Ladakh, Northeast India, or remote tribal belts—have struggled against systemic infrastructural hurdles. Mainstream financing models in India have historically favored Hindi-language commercial cinema or major regional powerhouses (such as Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Bengali industries), frequently sidelining indigenous languages due to perceived limitations in commercial viability.
However, the global festival success of regional Indian films in recent years has demonstrated that authentic, hyper-local narratives possess immense cross-cultural appeal. By providing early-stage capital, high-level mentorship from auteurs like Vishal Bhardwaj and Shaunak Sen, and strategic international networking opportunities, private equity funds established by cultural platforms are effectively bypassing traditional bureaucratic bottlenecks.
For Kakthet, the INR 40 lakh fund acts as both a financial anchor and a psychological vote of confidence. As Tankyong and his production team—bolstered by seasoned producers like Ritu Sarin and Rajesh Thanickan—navigate the complexities of assembling a multi-national co-production across Asia, Australia, and Europe, the project stands as a shining example of how grassroots cinephile culture and private philanthropy can intersect to preserve, amplify, and export marginalized indigenous voices to the global stage.
