Drishya Karkhana invites you to a two-day screening program featuring three films from the Darbhanga region of Bihar, India. In 2022, a newspaper described the emergence of this remarkable group of filmmakers from Mithila region as “The Rise of Darbhanga Wave.” As the article observed: “What’s unique about independent filmmakers Achal Mishra, Parth Saurabh and Shishir Jha… is that they are not here to just make their own films but that of others too, by steering an ecosystem.”
Screening Schedule:
Friday, 3 July 2026 | 6:00 PM
Pokhar Ke Dunu Paar (2022) — Directed by Parth Saurabh
Followed by an online Q&A with the filmmaker.
Saturday, 4 July 2026 | 6:00 PM
Gamak Ghar (2019) — Directed by Achal Mishra
Dhuin (2022) — Directed by Achal Mishra
Followed by an online Q&A
About the Darbhanga Wave
Over the past few years, a remarkable body of independent films has emerged from Darbhanga, a city in Bihar’s Mithila region. Although the filmmakers themselves are modest about the label, critics have described this phenomenon as the “Darbhanga Wave.” More than a regional movement, it represents a collaborative approach to filmmaking rooted in personal stories, local culture, and a commitment to creating cinema beyond the mainstream industry.
Filmmakers Achal Mishra, Parth Saurabh, and Shishir Jha have each returned to their roots to tell stories shaped by the people and places they know best. Rather than working in isolation, they have supported one another as producers, writers, cinematographers, editors, and collaborators, helping to build an independent filmmaking ecosystem in a region with little cinematic infrastructure.
Their films are characterized by quiet observation, intimate storytelling, and a deep sense of place. Homes, villages, and small towns become spaces where themes of memory, migration, family, and social change unfold with remarkable sensitivity. Influenced by world cinema while remaining deeply grounded in the cultural landscape of Mithila, these works offer a distinct and contemporary cinematic voice.
This program brings together Pokhar Ke Dunu Paar, Gamak Ghar, and Dhuin—three films that reflect different facets of this emerging body of work. Through these screenings and conversations with the filmmakers, Drishya Karkhana hopes to introduce audiences to one of the most exciting developments in contemporary South Asian independent cinema and to celebrate a community of filmmakers creating meaningful cinema from the margins.
Pokhar Ke Dunu Paar (On Either Sides of the Pond)
Director: Parth Saurabh
Country: India
Year: 2022
Runtime: 105 minutes
Time: Friday, 3 July 2026 | 6:00 PM
Synopsis: Sumit and Priyanka, an eloped couple, return to their hometown, due to the financial hardships caused by the lockdown. As Priyanka seeks to leave Sumit and return to her conservative father’s home, Sumit, oblivious, wastes his time away.
Gamak Ghar
Director: Achal Mishra
Country: India
Year: 2019
Runtime: 91 minutes
Time: Saturday, 4 July 2026 | 6:00 PM
Synopsis: In a north Indian village, a family reunites at their ancestral home to celebrate a new birth in the family. It’s a joyous, carefree occasion. Over the next two decades, through festivals and feasts, births and deaths, the film observes one house as it ages and falls to neglect.
Dhuin
Director: Achal Mishra
Country: India
Year: 2022
Runtime: 50 minutes
Time: Saturday, 4 July 2026 | 7:30 PM
Synopsis: DHUIN is a stunning, novella-length portrait of a 25-year old street theatre actor (Abhinav Jha, in a breakout performance) who is desperate to leave his rural hometown of Darbhanga for Mumbai, but finds himself trapped by family obligations, lack of experience and connections, and the all-enveloping fog of living.