Nidhi Saxena's 'Secret Of A Mountain Serpent' Earns Praise At Venice Film Fest

At the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, an Indian woman filmmaker marked a milestone for independent cinema. Nidhi Saxena’s feature Secret of a Mountain Serpent premiered under Biennale College Cinema, making her the first Indian woman to be selected by this prestigious initiative.

The Biennale College Cinema is known for supporting low-budget, innovative projects worldwide, and Saxena’s selection placed her alongside an international cohort of emerging voices. For Indian cinema, and particularly for women behind the camera, her entry into this space is both significant and overdue.

Set against the backdrop of the 1999 Kargil War, Secret of a Mountain Serpent explores life in a Himalayan town caught in the shadow of conflict. Lead actress Trimala Adhikari plays a school teacher whose life takes a turn when she crosses paths with a mysterious outsider, played by veteran actor Adil Hussain.

The film centres on themes of intimacy, resilience, and the quiet costs of war. While it is framed by a moment of national crisis, its focus is not on the spectacle of battle but on the everyday human desire for connection, freedom, and survival.

The film has been described as anti-war and pro-freedom, not only in the political sense but also in terms of love and personal autonomy. This angle is particularly striking coming from a woman filmmaker, as Indian cinema has historically reserved the war narrative for male directors. Saxena’s approach shifts attention away from the battlefield to the interior worlds of those left to endure its consequences.

The film was produced by Forest Flower Films in collaboration with Pushing Buttons Studios, with Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal as executive producers. Esteemed Sri Lankan filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundara, winner of the Caméra d’Or at Cannes, was involved in the project, reinforcing its international scope. The post-production team included Bridge Postworks, editor Saman Alvitigala, production designer Avni Goyal, and sound designer Neeraj Gera.

Nidhi Saxena at Venice Film Festival

This is not Saxena’s first international outing. Her earlier feature, Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman, premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in 2024, drawing attention for its intimate storytelling. Trained originally in visual arts and raised in Jaipur, Saxena brings an interdisciplinary sensibility to her films, combining painterly visuals with social commentary.

Her presence in Venice is important in a broader sense, too. Indian cinema has often struggled with gender parity, both in terms of opportunities for women directors and the kinds of stories that are taken seriously on global platforms. While male directors dominate the narrative of India’s artistic exports, Saxena’s selection disrupts this pattern. Her achievement is not just personal recognition but part of a slowly growing lineage of women who are reshaping how Indian stories are told abroad.

In a time when discussions around representation and equity are central to global culture, Saxena’s Venice premiere is a reminder of the need for structural change. Festivals may celebrate individual breakthroughs, but they also reflect larger gaps: how many other women filmmakers, with stories equally vital, never reach this stage?

By bringing a female perspective to a story about war, belonging, and human connection, Secret of a Mountain Serpent places itself at the intersection of art and gender politics. Saxena’s career thus far suggests a commitment to telling stories that complicate established genres and foreground overlooked experiences.

Views expressed by the author are their own.