22-year-old filmmaker's Hindi-Kannada film set for Cannes debut

At just 22, writer-director Karen Kshiti Suvarna is set to make a mark on the global stage—once again. The Mangaluru-Mumbai-based filmmaker’s debut feature September 21 will have its world premiere at the Marché du Film during the Festival de Cannes on May 16. This marks her second outing at Cannes after her 10-minute short Hide & Seek, which she directed at 20, was selected at the Cannes World Film Festival. Shot in Hindi and Kannada, the film follows an Alzheimer’s patient who believes his wife is quarantined next door due to COVID-19, even as his estranged son returns home, caught between ambition and responsibility. But as Kshiti explains, the story goes beyond the illness itself.

‘A Cannes premiere still doesn’t feel real’

For Kshiti, the Cannes selection was overwhelming. “It took me two to three days to process it. You feel happy, but at the same time, it doesn’t feel real,” she says, adding that the milestone is especially meaningful as a young female filmmaker. “To have my debut feature premiere there is a huge moment. If you have the right team and people around you, it’s possible.” she says.

Actor Priyanka Upendra, who plays Kamala, the caregiver, shares the excitement. “This is the first time one of my films is premiering at Cannes after three decades in the industry. If it brings more awareness through a global platform, that would be truly meaningful,” she says.

‘I didn’t want to make a commercial film’

Kshiti says she was clear that her first feature needed to stand apart. “I didn’t want to make a purely commercial film — I wanted it to carry a message and leave the audience with a thought,” she says, adding that the film blends festival sensibilities with accessibility. For her, the subject of Alzheimer’s was both urgent and underexplored. “Awareness in India is still limited. Many people associate it only with memory loss, but it’s far more complex. There’s no cure yet, but there are ways to make patients more comfortable,” she says.

‘It was also about shifting the focus to the caregivers’

“We didn’t want to look only at the patient or the illness. The film explores the emotional and practical struggles of caregivers—the decisions they face and the toll it takes,” Kshiti explains. Priyanka says this perspective drew her to the project. “Caregivers often go unnoticed. They give unconditional love, even when the person may not remember them the next day. That makes this story deeply moving,” she says. Both the filmmaker and actor believe the film’s strength lies in its simplicity. “It’s a story rooted in human emotions, told in a simple yet impactful way,” Kshiti says. Priyanka agrees. “Sometimes, just two people in a room can convey powerful emotions without spectacle. That honesty is what makes this film special.” The film also stars Pravin Singh Sisodia, Zarina Wahab, Ajith Shidhaye and Amit Behl.

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