Well-known Indian cinematographer Pankaj Kumar (Tumbbad, Brahmastra Part One: Shiva) will be making his feature film directorial debut with Konyak. His first feature film Konyak will be a tribal action drama set in Northeast India.
The project was selected by NFDC (National Film Development Corporation) Screenwriters Lab , which is an annual program that helps screenwriters develop their work and pitch it to producers. The annual program is a part of Film Bazaar, a trade expo for South Asian Films which is organised alongside the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. Konyak will be produced through Kumar’s own Jiboom Studios.
The film is written by Uddhav Ghosh from the NFDC Screenwriters Lab 2024 selections, and will be written in different languages like Konyak Naga, Hindi and English . The story follows a warrior named Thungpang who is guided by prophetic visions and must protect his community during a deadly conflict between headhunting tribes. The story is said to explore themes of betrayal and honour as Thungpang confronts his former friend, Sangba. As reported by Variety, the project is inspired by Ghosh’s travels through Nagaland.
Kumar will both direct and produce the film through his aforementioned production banner which is said to be focused on theatrical storytelling. He is currently working in post production on Amazon Prime Video’s horror series Khauff, as its director.
Speaking to Variety Kumar mentioned that the vision for Konyak is to create something immersive and untamed, a film that lives and breathes on the big screen, where every frame tells a story of endurance and heritage.
