The Cinema Times, Kathmandu – Deepak Rauniyar’s ‘Pooja, Sir’ has released its first teaser. Along with the teaser, the team also revealed that the digital rights for four nations have been sold. Rauniyar, via his social media handle, announced that they have partnered with Arp Selection in France and Trigon Film for Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The cinema is also in the Venice Film Festival’s Horizons strand competition this year.

‘Pooja, Sir’ is inspired by real events during the 2015 race protests involving the Madhesh community. The story begins when two boys including a MP’s son get kidnapped; Inspector Pooja is given the case. The brewing political protests compel her to seek a local Madhesi policewoman Mamata’s help.

The search operation, political unrest is presented in an intriguing manner in the cinema. With Asha Magrati in the lead, the cast includes former Miss Nepal Nikita Chandak, Dayahang Rai, Reecha Sharma, Bijay Baral, Gaumaya Gurung, Aarati Mandal, Pashupati Rai, Ghanashyam Mishra, Prameshwar Kumar Jha and Niraj Shrestha.

‘Pooja, Sir’ will have its first world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 29. This is director Rauniyar’s third cinema after ‘Highway’ and ‘White Sun’. ’Highway’ was premiered in Berlin in 2012 where ‘White Sun’ was awarded in Venice, Palm Springs, Fribourg and Singapore Film Festival in 2016.

The cinema is produced by Rauniyar and Magrati for Aadi Films, Rambabu Gurung for Baasuri Films and Alan R Milligan for Tannhauser Gate. It has also received funding from the Norwegian Film Institute’s Sorfond. The release date for Nepal will also be announced soon.