# Vishal Bhardwaj, Shaunak Sen-Mentored Co-Production Fund Picks Ladakh-Set ‘Kakthet’ as Winner (EXCLUSIVE)

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/vishal-bhardwaj-shaunak-sen-mentored-co-production-fund-picks-ladakh-set-kakthet-as-winner-exclusive/
- Published: 2026-10-28T23:32:15+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-29T00:20:19+00:00
- Original publisher: Variety
- Original article: https://variety.com/2026/film/news/vishal-bhardwaj-shaunak-sen-mentored-fund-picks-kakthet-winner-1236933731/
- Topics: Entertainment, Film, Geopolitics, Politics

## Key points

- *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.

## Summary

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.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.