‘Baahubali’ Producer Leads India’s NFDC Film Bazaar 2024 Lineup

National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) Indian project market Film Bazaar has unveiled an ambitious slate for its 18th edition co-production market, with “Baahubali” producer Shobu Yarlagadda among the selection. The market, set for Nov. 20-24 at Goa’s Marriott Resort, showcases 29 projects spanning India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Australia, the U.K., Germany, and Hong Kong.

From a pool of 180 feature submissions spanning 23 countries, 21 features made the cut. The projects represent a linguistic mosaic, including Hindi, English, Assamese, Tamil, Marwari, Bengali, Malayalam, Punjabi, Nepali, Marathi, Pahadi, and Cantonese, demonstrating the market’s growing international appeal.

High-profile industry veterans dominate the features section. Abhishek Chaubey teams with Honey Trehan for “Absent,” a psychological drama about two schoolboys whose friendship takes a dark turn. Producer Alan McAlex, who had two films at Cannes this year – “Santosh” and “Sister Midnight” – brings “Aadu Ki Kasam,” exploring the consequences of two friends’ desperate bid for Bollywood fame.

The lineup reflects contemporary South Asian storytelling, ranging from “A Night’s Whispers and the Winds,” director Krrishna Kt. Borah’s exploration of dementia and tradition, to “Feral,” Nihaarika Negi’s period drama about tribal resistance in 1950s India. Notable entries include Pranjal Dua’s “All Ten Heads of Ravana,” Talat Ahmed’s Bangladesh-India co-production “Divine Chords,” and Prateek Gupta’s “Gulistaan,” which tackles corporate exploitation of tribal lands. The Hong Kong entry “The Vampire of Sheung Shui,” from director-producer Shreyom Ghosh, and producers Michael J. Werner and Peter Yam, follows a slacker’s supernatural transformation as he attempts to take over his family business.

This year’s market introduces a streaming series category, drawing 38 submissions from eight countries. Yarlagadda features in this section with “Age of Deccan – The Legend of Malik Ambar,” a historical drama tracking an Ethiopian slave’s rise to power, directed by Krish Jagarlamudi.

The series slate features notable entries from established filmmakers. “Karwaan” director Akarsh Khurana brings “Pondi-Cherie,” a culinary romance set in Pondicherry, while acclaimed duo Pushkar-Gayatri (“Vikram Vedha”) back “Reset,” about creatives encountering supernatural forces and an AI threat. Other compelling series include “IndiPendent,” a U.K. co-production about a bisexual musician’s career revival, and Venice winner Ruchika Oberoi’s “Just Like Her Mother,” that looks at a mysterious disappearance.

Participants will pitch to international and Indian producers, distributors, festival programmers, financiers, and sales agents during open pitch sessions. The market’s partnership with Singapore’s Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) for a project exchange initiative continues.

NFDC managing director Prithul Kumar said: “The co-production market has proven to be a significant aspect of Film Bazaar, providing critical financial assistance to selected projects.”

FEATURE FILMS

“A Night’s Whispers and the Winds” (India, Assamese) Director: Krrishna Kt. Borah Producer: Prateek Bagi. An aging artist battles dementia while seeking to relive his past during a folk theatre festival.

“Aadu Ki Kasam” (India, English, Hindi) Director: Saraswathi Vani Balgam Producer: Alan McAlex. Two friends’ bond is tested when they steal family gold to fund Bollywood dreams.

“Aanaikatti Blues” (India, Tamil) Director: Arun Karthick Producers: Madhu Mohan, Mathivanan Rajendran. Chronicles a mountain village gang’s spiral into chaos through drug-fueled adventures.

“Absent” (India, Hindi, English) Director: Rohan K. Mehta Producers: Abhishek Chaubey, Honey Trehan. Two bullied schoolboys form a friendship that veers toward violence.

“All Ten Heads of Ravana” (India, Hindi) Director: Pranjal Dua Producers: Bich-Quan Tran, Pranjal Dua. A teenage Ravana effigy maker launches a “padded jeans” business while pursuing his crush.

“Baaghi Bechare” (India, Hindi) Director: Sumit Purohit Producers: Abhishek Sharma, Chippy Babu. Desperate farmers stage a fake hostage crisis to attract government attention.

“Chetak” (India, Hindi, Marwari) Director: Bhuwan Somani Producer: Suruchi Sharma. A seven-year-old boy develops an attachment to his father’s scooter.

“Divine Chords” (Bangladesh, India, Bengali) Director: Talat Ahmed Producers: Aadnan Imtiaz Ahmed, Jonaki Bhattacharya. A mechanic and maid experience brief encounters with better lives.

“Feral” (India, English) Director: Nihaarika Negi Producers: Tobias Reeuwijk, Nancy Degnan. Two tribal maids rebel against their English employer in 1950s India.

“Gulistaan” (India, Hindi) Director: Prateek Gupta Producers: Mit Jani, Aayush Patel, Abhishek Shah. A young gardener leads tribal resistance against corporate mining interests.

“Guptam” (India, Malayalam) Director: Kunjila Mascillamani Producer: Jeo Baby. A single mother faces mysterious incidents in conservative rural Thrissur after her daughter disappears.

“Harbir” (India, Punjabi, Hindi, English) Director: Angad Bawa Producer: Raja Krishna Menon. A 15-year-old Sikh swimmer faces scrutiny over his long hair at a prestigious academy.

“Home Before Night” (Australia, Nepal, English, Nepali) Director: Kalani Gacon Producers: Sabin Gnawali, Ana Tiwary. A homesick Nepali migrant receives donated memories from an Australian woman searching for her Nepali father.

“Kabootar” (India, Marathi) Director: Ishan Sharma Producer: Nikhil Chaudhary. A homeless detective finds potential clients through letters written to a Djinn.

“Kothiyan” (India, Malayalam) Director: Sanju Surendran Producer: Pramod Sankar. A bank employee’s life changes when a curse gives him an insatiable hunger for fish.

“Kurinji” (India, Germany, Malayalam) Director: Payal Sethi Producer: Thanikachalam S.A. A woman uncovers truths about her vanished Gulf migrant-worker husband through a TV show.

“Roid” (Bangladesh, Bengali) Director: Mejbaur Rahman Sumon Producers: Tanveer Hossain, Shimul Chandra Biswas. A solitary man’s marriage to a madwoman becomes a cyclical enigma.

“Somahelang” (India, U.K., Pahadi, Hindi) Directors: Sourav Yadav, Shubham Negi Producer: Neeraj Churi. A polyandrous Himachali family faces crisis after losing their apple harvest.

“The Employer” (India, Hindi) Director: Aditya Vikram Sengupta Producer: Priyankar Patra. A widowed chauffeur falls under suspicion when diamond earrings vanish at his employer’s event.

“Wax Daddy” (India, English, Hindi) Director: Aastha Tiku Producers: Amit Masurkar, Bridge PostWorks, Moonweave Studio. A malfunctioning humanoid replica of a deceased industrialist wreaks havoc.

“The Vampire of Sheung Shui” (Hong Kong, English, Cantonese, Hindi) Director: Shreyom Ghosh Producers: Peter Yam, Michael J. Werner, Shreyom Ghosh. A slacker must prove his worth to take over the family business while dealing with vampire transformation.

STREAMING SERIES

“Age of Deccan – The Legend of Malik Ambar” (India, Hindi, English) Director: Krish Jagarlamudi Producer: Shobu Yarlagadda. Chronicles an Ethiopian slave’s rise to power in historical Deccan India.

“Chauhans BNB” (India, Hindi) Director: Shivangi Singh Producer: Ujjawal Dubey A family converts their ancestral home into a B&B during the 2018 Kumbh festival.

“Chekavar” (India, Malayalam, Tamil) Director: Abhilash Vijayan Producer: Nithin Lukose. A teenage martial artist in 16th century Malabar undertakes an impossible mission.

“IndiPendent” (India, UK, English, Tamil) Director: Anu Vaidyanathan Producers: Martisse Hill, Safiya Jalonen. A bisexual musician’s career revival depends on her immigrant cousin-turned-manager.

“Just Like Her Mother” (India, Hindi, English) Director: Ruchika Oberoi Producer: Anushka Shah. A teenager investigates her mother’s mysterious disappearance in 2000s India.

“Modern Times” (India, UK, English, Tamil) Director: Anu Vaidyanathan Producers: Martisse Hill, Safiya Jalonen. Explores generational neuroses in an Indian family.

“Pondi-Cherie” (India, Hindi, English) Director: Akarsh Khurana Producer: Sanjeevkumar Nair. A canceled food vlogger and French chef attempt to save an iconic restaurant.

“Reset” (India, Multiple Languages) Director: Bharat Mirle Producers: Pushkar-Gayatri. Two aspiring creatives face supernatural encounters and become entangled in a sinister plot involving a malevolent AI-powered social media app.