New Delhi

Gadi, a Marathi psychological thriller presented by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, is set to premiere at the upcoming edition of the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) later this month.

Produced by Ranjan Singh, Anurag Kashyap, and Rajendra Pingal, the film marks the feature debut of self-taught filmmaker Rohan Pingal, who wears multiple hats as its writer, director, and cinematographer.

Filmed primarily in striking black-and-white across the Konkan region, Sangli, and coastal Maharashtra, Gadi explores complex themes of free will, grief, and human conditioning.

The narrative of Gadi —backed by Amaze Production Film in association with Flip Films—centers on a grieving father in a small Konkan hamlet who is confronted with the realisation that he possesses no free will. The film features theater actor Raj Sane in the lead role, supported by Kishore Kadam, Shirish Kulkarni, Shabnam Nad, and Hadelin De Ponteves, with music by Ankush Boradkar and executive production by Ameya Tanavade.

Reflecting on the film’s vision and collaborative backing, writer-director Rohan Pingal shared, “Gadi is a film that asks more than it explains. It lives in silences, in what's left unsaid, and we wanted the audience to feel it rather than decode it. I got full support from Anurag and Ranjan sir from the very beginning. They never asked us to simplify it or make it easier. That belief gave us the freedom to make the film exactly as we felt it, and I'm grateful to have walked this path with them.”

Championing the young filmmaker's unconventional approach, Anurag Kashyap added, “I met Rohan at a post lab, where he showed me some of the visuals he had been creating for his film’s pitch and I was surprised that they created them, all by themselves far away from where all the VFX studios were. In Gadi, his fresh approach, challenges the filmmaking norms, and that’s why the film generates different kinds of response. I am happy for the film that it is premiering at Dharamshala, and curious to see the reaction of the audience.”

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The Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) is set to return from October 29 to November 1, marking a milestone with its 15th edition.