Vishal Bhardwaj, Shaunak Sen-Mentored Co-Production Fund Picks Ladakh-Set ‘Kakthet’ as Winner (EXCLUSIVE)
Stenzin Tankyong’s Ladakhi-language debut feature *Kakthet* has won the first co-production fund run by Humans of Cinema and Safarnaama Pictures. The INR40 lakh award will support a story about a remote Ladakh school whose future depends on a reluctant pupil, bringing attention and backing to a filmmaker focused on the region’s stories and culture.
The project was chosen from nearly 400 entries and is produced by Ritu Sarin and Rajesh Thanickan, with French co-producers La Belle Affaire Productions. It had already received a Co-Production Features Grant at WAVES Film Bazaar in 2025 and was selected for the 2026 Asian Project Market. Vishal Bhardwaj is a mentor, while Shaunak Sen is also attached as executive producer.
In short
- *Kakthet* wins an INR40 lakh co-production fund.
- The Ladakh-set feature was picked from nearly 400 projects.
- Shaunak Sen is mentoring and executive producing the film.
Explained simply
Ladakh is a mountainous region in northern India, with its own languages and distinct cultural traditions. Films made in Ladakhi are less common than films in India’s larger film industries, so projects rooted in the region can bring its people and stories to a wider audience.
A co-production fund provides money to help filmmakers make a film, often alongside producers from more than one country. This award is run by Humans of Cinema and Safarnaama Pictures; the project is led by filmmaker Stenzin Tankyong and produced by Ritu Sarin and Rajesh Thanickan, with a French production company also involved.
Vishal Bhardwaj is attached as a mentor, and filmmaker Shaunak Sen as an executive producer. Their involvement connects the project with experienced figures in Indian cinema, while the fund’s support could help bring a Ladakhi-language feature to audiences beyond the region.
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