Hindi
Panda’s Jalpari-The Desert Mermaid screens at Cannes
MUMBAI: After the international success of his I Am Kalam that won over 20 international awards and one national award, NilaMadhab Panda‘s second feature film Jalpari – The Desert Mermaid, produced by Sushilkumar Agrawal of Ultra Distributors, started its international journey with a screening at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival.
Though the story of Jalpari… is largely based on the issue of female foeticide, it has been treated as an adventure thriller and journey film.
The film‘s story revolves around the adventures and misadventures of brother-sister duo Shreya and Sam from the city, who visit their father‘s village which is bereft of water and women. The film takes an interesting turn when the children turn the dull village into a land of enchantment and mischief.
To a query as to why his film was not part of the official section, Panda observed, “My new film is ready. As the film was not complete earlier, I could not send it for official selection in Cannes, but we brought it to the market and got a fantastic response here. We have got invites from many festivals already.”
The first market screening of the film, which will have its theatrical release shortly, got a fantastic response from buyers and other participants of the festival. Both Panda and Agrawal are busy meeting prospective buyers and film festival curators at Cannes. The film will soon start its journey in the festival circuit.
Jalpari – The Desert Mermaid stars Tannishtha Chatterjee, Varun Badola, Parvin Dabas, Lehar Khan, Krishang Trivedi, Suhasini Mulay and others.
Hindi
Kuku enters theatrical cinema with Indian Institute of Zombies
Audio and micro-drama giant launches first Hindi feature film on 8 May.
MUMBAI: Kuku just added brains to its bite because when an audio and micro-drama powerhouse decides to make a zombie comedy, even the undead had better watch their step. Kuku, one of India’s largest digital entertainment companies and the force behind Kuku FM and Kuku TV, has announced its foray into theatrical cinema with its debut Hindi feature film, Indian Institute of Zombies (IIZ). Billed as India’s first campus zombie comedy, the film is set to release in cinemas on 8 May 2026.
Set inside an elite engineering campus, IIZ blends zombie horror, youth comedy and sharp social satire, promising a high-energy big-screen experience. The film stars an ensemble cast including Jessie Lever, Anupriya Goenka, Mohan Kapur, Ranjan Raj, Shivani Paliwal, Shantanu Anam, Rose Sardana, Sachin Kavetham and Tanishq Chaudhary. It has been developed in-house at Kuku, scripted by Hussain Dalal and Abbas Dalal (known for Brahmāstra and Farzi), and directed by Gaganjeet Singh and Alok Dwivedi of Low Gravity Productions.
Kuku, CEO Lal Chand Bisu said, “Kuku has always been obsessed with how India consumes stories. We built scale in personal consumption through Kuku FM and created a new micro-drama category with Kuku TV. Theatres represent the next frontier, and Indian Institute of Zombies marks the first of many, rooted in youth culture, genre innovation and mass Indian tastes.”
Kuku senior vice president Kunj Sanghvi added, “IIZ is a film for everyone who has ever been on a college campus. We observed the success of horror comedies at the box office, the lack of a breakout Indian zombie film, and the insatiable appetite for campus stories across age groups.”
The project also showcases Kuku’s AI-native approach to filmmaking. Artificial intelligence has been deeply integrated into concept structuring, story architecture, scheduling, budgeting and creative iteration not as a gimmick, but as an amplifier to enable faster development cycles and sharper decisions.
With this move, Kuku is evolving from a leader in audio and vertical storytelling into a multi-format entertainment powerhouse, leveraging its deep audience insights and technological edge to create culturally resonant theatrical experiences.
In a content universe where stories are getting shorter and screens smaller, Kuku is boldly going big proving that even in the age of two-minute episodes, there’s still plenty of room for zombies, campus chaos and full-blown cinematic laughter. Indian Institute of Zombies hits theatres on 8 May 2026.
