Secret of a Mountain Serpent 

Nidhi Saxena | India, Sri Lanka, Italy | 107 mins. | Hindi

Set in a remote Himalayan town during the Kargil War, Secret of a Mountain Serpent tells the intimate story of Barkha, a schoolteacher whose husband is away at the border. Most men are gone and Barkha finds herself drawn to Manik Guho, a mysterious outsider who disrupts the fragile status-quo. As his presence reawakens long-buried yearnings in Barkha and the other women of the village, a whispered local folklore comes alive: a serpent that lives in the forbidden river, still waiting after a thousand years for the promise of love unkept. A poetic exploration of desire, where myth and memory blur, inviting us into a deeply sensual, haunting journey through love, longing, and transformation.

Film screening followed by a Q&A with the director Nidhi Saxena

About the Director

Nidhi Saxena

Nidhi Saxena is an Indian writer and filmmaker with a background in painting, sculpture and literature. Her artistic work centers on emotional interiority, mythology and the daily nuances of women’s lives. Her debut feature, Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman, premiered at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival to international acclaim. With Secret of a Mountain Serpent, selected as a Finalist Project by Biennale College Cinema 2024–25, she extends her exploration into feminine solitude, community memory, and the quiet rebellion of desire. She is the founder of Forest Flower Films, which produces intimate, visionary cinema from South Asia.

About DIFF on the Road

DIFF on the Road is a year-round initiative by the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) that brings independent cinema to audiences and communities beyond its home in Dharamshala. The programme offers opportunities to experience diverse and impactful films outside of the festival, and cultivates wider networks of solidarity and mutual support within the landscape of independent cinema.

While you’re here, explore KNMA’s ongoing exhibition

TYEB MEHTA Bearing Weight (with the lightness of being).