Indian cinematographer Pankaj Kumar (“Tumbbad,” “Ship of Theseus”) is about to make his function directorial debut with “Konyak,” a tribal motion drama set in northeast India. The mission, was chosen for the NFDC Screenwriters Lab 2024, a part of the Movie Bazaar, will likely be produced by means of Kumar’s newly established Jiboom Studios.

Written by Uddhav Ghosh, the movie follows a younger warrior named Thungpang who, guided by prophetic visions, should defend his group throughout a lethal battle between headhunting tribes. The story explores themes of betrayal and honor as he confronts his former pal turned enemy, Sangba.

The mission, which will likely be shot in Konyak Naga and Hindi languages, emerged from Ghosh’s travels by means of Nagaland. Kumar, additionally identified for his work on movies together with “Brahmastra Half One: Shiva” and “Talvar,” will each direct and produce the movie by means of his manufacturing banner targeted on theatrical storytelling. Kumar, who shot Raj & DK’s Prime Video collection “Farzi” and Netflix collection “Weapons & Gulaabs,” is at the moment in post-production on “Khauff,” a horror collection directed by him for Prime Video.

Ghosh mentioned: “The imaginative and prescient was all the time clear – to create an motion epic that felt uncooked, unfiltered, and steeped in authenticity, drawing on the primal storytelling of movies like ‘Fury Highway’ and ‘Apocalypto.’ With Pankaj Kumar now on board as director, his visible mastery elevates this movie into the cinematic spectacle it deserves to be. His pleasure matches mine, as we craft a narrative that isn’t nearly motion however about id and resilience that lives in on a regular basis life.”

Kumar added: “The imaginative and prescient for ‘Konyak’ is to create one thing immersive and untamed, a movie that lives and breathes on the massive display, the place each body tells a narrative of endurance and heritage. As a director, coming from a background in cinematography, that is the sort of mission that lets me deliver all these components collectively. It’s thrilling to collaborate with Uddhav on this – to take his compelling narrative and craft it right into a grand visible expertise that’s as deeply rooted within the essence of its setting as it’s pushed by the heart beat of journey.”

Script editor Claire Dobbin, who mentored the mission, describes it as “far more than an motion film. It’s a compelling story of betrayal, braveness and resilience and shines a lightweight on a little-known, however unforgettable folks – the Konyak.”

Marten Rabarts, head of IFFR Professional at Worldwide Movie Competition Rotterdam, who additionally served as a lab mentor, notes: “Like many considerate filmmakers in all components of the previously colonized world Uddhav Ghosh is exploring the long-overshadowed tales of indigenous First Nations folks and in collaboration with them helps unearth intense and complicated histories, a resistance to the British empire and profound connection to land and place which binds them collectively in love, warfare, blood and spirit.”

Movie Bazaar (Nov. 20-24) is the mission market element of the Worldwide Movie Competition of India (IFFI, Nov. 20-28) in Goa.