Kashmiri film 'Batt Koch' to screen at New York Indian Film Festival

Kashmiri-language film ''Batt Koch'', an indie drama centred on the Kashmiri Pandit diaspora, will be presented at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF).

Directed by first-time filmmakers Ankit Walli and Siddarth Koul and produced by Vinayak Razdan, the movie, which is titled ''The Lost Lane'' in English, will be screened at the annual film gala on May 30.

At the festival, ''Batt Koch'' has received nominations for best debut feature film and best actor for veteran actor and thespian M K Raina, a press release said.

More than a story about politics or tragedy, ''Batt Koch'', set in Jammu, is described as an intimate exploration of memory, identity, belonging, and the deeply human longing to return home, even if only through stories.

The story is about a Kashmiri Pandit family navigating the complexities of modern life while caring for their elderly grandfather, who struggles with a memory condition.

''Following the recent passing of his beloved wife, the grandfather is consumed by an overwhelming sense of loss and emotional emptiness. In his subconscious mind, Kashmir becomes inseparable from the memory of his late wife - a place that now symbolises the emotional connection he longs to reclaim.

''Once indifferent to the idea of returning to Kashmir, his grief slowly transforms that distant thought into an urgent personal quest,'' read the official logline.

The directors said the recognition at NYIFF was a humbling moment.

''This film was made with immense love, pain, and responsibility towards preserving Kashmiri language, culture, and memory through cinema. To see such a deeply personal Kashmiri story resonate on an international platform is incredibly special,'' they said in a joint statement.

''We are grateful to NYIFF for recognising not just our film, but also the voice of a community, a language, and stories that deserve to be seen and heard across the world,'' they added.

Razdan, founder of SearchKashmir, produced the film with the aim of reviving Kashmiri cinema and creating space for authentic stories from the region to be told and preserved through film.

Presented by the Indo-American Arts Council, the 26th edition of the New York Indian Film Festival will run from May 28 to 31.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)