Indian Drama 'Kidney' Centers on Tallinn as Platoon One's Shiladitya Bora Joins (Exclusive)

Indian drama 'Kidney', the second feature by siblings Akarsh and Agrim Sansanwal, has been selected by Platoon One's Shiladitya Bora, who joins as co-producer, for the Critics' Choice competition at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (ÖPF) in Estonia. The film is produced by Enfant Terrible Productions, with Bombay Lebas […]

Hindi drama "Kidney," the second film from siblings Akaresh and Agrim Sansanwal, is being co-produced by Platoon One's Shiladitya Bora, who joins the film as a co-producer ahead of the Critics' Choice competition at Estonia's Tallinn Film Festival (P ÖFF Black Nights Films).

The film is produced by Enfant Terrible Productions, a Mumbai outfit started by the brothers. The story of this film takes place in a remote Indian village and follows a young man and woman from warring families who fall in love. When a dispute over an inheritance revives old animosities, their relationship is strained by greed and betrayal that is not in conflict. RELATED STORIES South Africa's cash discount bounces back, African verticals rise and AI at a crossroads: 10 takeaways from Durban FilmMart's 'Nick Cannon @ Night' podcast moves into betting, broadcast as a weekly TV show (Exclusive)

Akaresh Sansanwal said, “We made the film with very little money and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of soul. "When the budget ran out, the entire village and its farming community stood behind us. They helped us overcome obstacles and in their own way became part of the film's journey. This film carries the hands and hearts of the people who helped bring it to life." Popular in Variety

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The director said that Platoon was one of the first to recognize this spirit in the film and support what the brothers were trying to do. "Their support gave the film a chance to travel beyond the world it was made in and reach an audience we could only hope for. It's deeply moving to see it find its way into the light. I thank the Tallinn Black Nights team for discovering our film and giving it a place to shine."

The Tallinn Critics' Choice Series spotlights films with a clear artistic vision and a fresh take on storytelling, including works that engage with genre, cinema's past, and social issues of the time. Previous picks include Sanya Malhotra's Arati Kadav's Miss, as well as The Kitaura Brothers, About Us But Not About Us and Bone Breakers.

Bora, who founded Platoon One, said that when he first watched "Kidney," he knew he was "looking at something different, something that hadn't been done that way." He also noted the "strong and distinct voice" of Sensanwals.

"It's easy to dismiss a film like 'Kidney' as an esoteric film, but what surprised me was the depth of emotion underlying its structure and form," Bora says. There is a dense and deep emotional layer running through the film, and the film's unique style feels like a way to express that feeling rather than an end in itself. This is exactly the kind of cinema that Platoon One wants to stand behind: original, distinctive and deeply rooted voices. "After seeing this movie, I couldn't put it down."

The brothers divide their time between Mumbai and Delhi. Akaresh has worked as an assistant director for Reema Kagti, Abhinay Dev and Pushpendra Misra, while Agrim trained as a filmmaker with a focus on editing and assistant editor Deepa Bhatia on The Skater Girl.

The couple wrote and directed their first feature film, the experimental film 'To Caterpillar, From Butterfly', which premiered at the Dharamshala International Film Festival.