Archive · 24 Aug 2026
Punjabi Film Birds in the Dark Set for Busan Premiere
Birds in the Dark is a Punjabi film made by Shashank Walia.
It will premiere at the Busan International Film Festival.
The movie is filmed in black and white.
It uses quiet moments and silence to tell its story.
It explores justice, longing, resistance and gender.
It also reflects on love in a thoughtful way.
Hansal Mehta and other producers supported the project after seeing its early footage.
The film was made by a team of actors and crew working together.
Hansal Mehta has discussed presenting the Punjabi film Birds in the Dark at the Busan International Film Festival.
The film, originally titled Hanere De Panchhi, was directed by cinematographer-turned-director Shashank Walia.
Mehta said he recognized the project’s potential after watching its first 40 minutes in Chandigarh last year.
The black-and-white drama explores justice, longing, resistance, gender and love, with silence central to its storytelling.
Hansal Mehta and Sahil are producing the film with Reema Kaur under the True Story Films banner.
- Who
- Filmmaker and producer Hansal Mehta, director Shashank Walia, and producers Reema Kaur and Sahil are associated with the film.
- What
- Birds in the Dark, also titled Hanere De Panchhi, is an independent Punjabi drama-romance film set to premiere at the Busan International Film Festival.
- When
- The film is set to premiere at the upcoming Busan International Film Festival; the articles do not provide a date.
- Where
- The premiere will take place at the Busan International Film Festival; Mehta first watched part of the film in Chandigarh.
- Why
- Mehta said he supported the film because he considered it a distinctive work exploring justice, longing, resistance, gender and love.
- Film
- Birds in the Dark
- Original title
- Hanere De Panchhi
- Language
- Punjabi
- Director
- Shashank Walia
- Premiere
- Busan International Film Festival
- Style
- Black and white, with silence playing an important storytelling role
- Production
- Produced by Reema Kaur and Hansal Mehta under True Story Films