Adil Hussain enchants in Nidhi Saxena’s Venice-bound feature ‘Secrets of a Mountain Serpent’, first look unveiled

In a cinematic moment that promises to linger far beyond its frames, internationally acclaimed Indian actor Adil Hussain is set to cast his spell once again in Nidhi Saxena’s upcoming feature “Secrets of a Mountain Serpent,” which is slated to have its world premiere at the prestigious Venice Film Festival this year.

Hussain, known globally for films such as “Life of Pi”, “The Reluctant Fundamentalist”, and “Hotel Salvation”, plays the enigmatic Manik Guho, a mysterious figure who disrupts the quiet life of a war-widowed teacher in a remote Himalayan village. Principal photography was wrapped in the beautiful hills of Uttarakhand, with Saxena calling the experience of working with Hussain “mystical, almost spiritual.”

“This film lives in silences,” says Saxena while speaking to Variety. “And Adil filled those silences with something unspoken, sacred. During the climax scene, the entire crew stood still nobody dared to breathe. The energy was so fragile that we whispered ‘cut’ in silence, fearing we’d break the spell Adil had created.”

According to Saxena, Hussain’s portrayal of Manik Guho is central to the film’s meditation on grief, myth, and womanhood in post-conflict India. His performance, she says, doesn’t just inhabit the frame it alters it.

Saxena, whose first feature “Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman” debuted at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival, reunites with Cannes Camera d’Or-winning filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundara, who returns as producer. Their creative partnership, Saxena notes, is essential in pushing the experimental boundaries she seeks to explore.

“Secrets of a Mountain Serpent” tells the story of Barkha (played by Trimala Adhikari), a teacher left behind during the Kargil War, whose internal world begins to unravel upon the arrival of the stranger, Manik Guho. Inspired by an ancient legend of a serpent deity waiting for his bride, the narrative blurs the line between mythology and reality, set against the backdrop of India’s mist-cloaked northern hills.

Pushpendra Singh and Richa Meena join the cast, rounding out what Saxena calls an “enigmatic tapestry”—one that leans more toward feeling than plot, restraint than drama. “The weight of the unspoken is the heartbeat of this film,” adds Jayasundara.

For Hussain, long regarded as one of India’s most introspective and internationally respected actors, the role marks another deep dive into the realm of inner conflict and existential tension. “He shapes his body to transcend the physical,” Saxena reflects. “His very presence made the atmosphere on set otherworldly.”

The film, funded by Venice’s Biennale College Cinema program, received a €200,000 production grant. It is one of the very few Indian projects to be selected by the initiative, joining the ranks of “Hotel Salvation” (2016) and “Cactus Pears”, which went on to win big at Sundance earlier this year.

The project is a co-production between India, Italy, and Sri Lanka, and includes a stellar creative crew: production designer Avni Goyal, editor Saman Alvitigala, sound designer Neeraj Gera, and color grading at Bridge Postworks.

The 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival, opening with Paolo Sorrentino’s “La Grazia”, will run from August 27 to September 6, with the full lineup to be announced on July 22.