Indian filmmaker Saurav Rai is set to unveil his new project, Lanka, at the Hong Kong — Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) this year, an event running alongside Hong Kong FilMart. The Hindi-language drama follows 12-year-old Shiv, who struggles with bullying due to his family’s old van used for school transportation. The situation takes a dramatic turn when the van breaks down, prompting Shiv’s father, Krishna, to seek a new vehicle despite lacking sufficient funds. This financial strain leads to desperate decisions, while a karate match between Shiv and his friend Simon ends in injury, triggering a bitter feud between the two families. What follows is a psychological war of revenge that intensifies over time.
Rai, whose previous works include the critically acclaimed Guras (2023) and Nimtoh (2019), shared his personal connection to the project. “Filmmaking for me is largely a medium to express and relive whatever I feel is important, human, and necessary to share,” Rai said. “This story became more important as I became a father a year ago. The guilt from my childhood became even more pronounced as I started experiencing the growth of my own son.”
The narrative of Lanka touches on themes of guilt, parenting, class division, and the cyclical nature of revenge. Rai revealed that the film’s roots lie in his own childhood experiences, specifically a moment when he unintentionally hurt a friend during a martial arts session. “I breached the trust of a friend by promising to go easy on him during our sparring day, but I ended up hurting him for mere appreciation from our master,” Rai explained. This moment of guilt served as the foundation for the story.
The filmmakers, including co-producers Ankita Purkayastha and Viraj Selot, have been involved with Rai’s projects for several years. Purkayastha, a sound designer with credits such as Amazon Prime’s Panchayat and Netflix’s Kota Factory 2, highlighted the shared passion behind their collaboration. “We joined as producers for Nimtoh and Guras simply because we share a deep passion for Saurav’s vision,” she said.
Lanka has already secured about one-quarter of its $1.1 million budget, with discussions ongoing with potential mainstream actors from India, according to Selot. “The budget may shift once we finalize the fees for the principal cast,” he noted. The team hopes to find international partners at HAF, as they believe the story resonates universally. “We are open to co-producing the film with both European and Asian forces,” said Selot. “The struggles of parenting, regardless of class or sociological differences, and the need for human compassion, are themes that transcend borders.”
The producers are confident that Lanka will attract global attention, further solidifying Rai’s reputation as a filmmaker with a unique and compelling narrative voice.
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