Venice applauds Nidhi Saxena

Nidhi Saxena’s Secret of a Mountain Serpent receives a heartwarming response at its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival 2025 

Nidhi Saxena’s second feature film, Secret of a Mountain Serpent, received a heartwarming response at its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. The premiere was part of the prestigious Biennale College Cinema programme and was attended by lead 

actors Adil Hussain and Trimala Adhikari, Cannes-winning producer Vimukhti Jayasundara, executive producers Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, producer Rahul Saxena, and filmmaker Nidhi Saxena herself.

The film opened the Biennale College Cinema section, marking a significant milestone as Nidhi Saxena became the first Indian woman to receive the Biennale College Cinema fund. Her debut feature, Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman, premiered at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Asian Cinema Fund.

Produced by Forest Flower Film in collaboration with Camera d’Or winner Vimukhti Jayasundara and executive produced by Chadha and Fazal’s Pushing Buttons Studios, the film is a co-production between India, Italy, and Sri Lanka. Key crew includes Avni Goyal (production design), Saman Alvitigala (editor), and Neeraj Gera (sound design), with color grading by Bridge Postworks.

Following the premiere, Saxena shared: “It was overwhelming and emotional... A lot of people felt it was their own story. That was very rewarding.”