The actor discusses creative independence as her debut feature production begins its festival journey.
Kirti Kulhari says her decision to become a producer grew from wanting a greater role in bringing films to life.
“Just being an actor wasn’t enough for me anymore because I felt I could do more,” she told mid-day while discussing Kinaare, her debut feature production, which premiered at the Dharamshala International Film Festival.
Kulhari also leads the film’s cast. The project brings her acting and producing responsibilities together around a relationship-driven story.
What is Kinaare about?
Listed by the festival as Shores | Kinaare, the film follows Amina, whose days revolve around caring for her ageing parents and maintaining the family home.
An unexpected visit from her cousin after 15 years brings unresolved memories into the present. The festival synopsis describes a story concerned with homecoming, lost love and acceptance.
Brothers Akbar Quadri and Azam Quadri wrote and directed the film. Its cast includes Kulhari, Rajeev Siddhartha, Alka Amin and Ravi Taneja.
Why Kulhari chose to back the film
In the mid-day interview, Kulhari said the script’s simplicity appealed to her and made her believe she could mount the project independently.
She described spending two to three years trying to move projects forward, only for plans to fall apart. Producing Kinaare became a way to act on a story she believed in rather than continue waiting for outside backing.
In an earlier account of the production, she also emphasised the team’s shared belief in the script and described filmmaking as a collaborative process.
Her concern about creative control
Kulhari expressed concern that financing decisions increasingly shape which stories reach production.
She argued that demands from studios, corporate backers and streaming platforms can narrow the space for individual voices. Those remarks represent her assessment of the environment in which filmmakers seek support; they are not an independently measured finding about every producer or platform.
Her position also illustrates a distinction between financing a film and distributing it. A filmmaker may seek independence during production while later pursuing a platform capable of bringing the completed work to viewers.
Is an OTT release confirmed?
Kulhari told mid-day that a streaming platform would be her preferred release route.
That preference is not a confirmed acquisition or release announcement. The material reviewed does not identify a streaming service or a public release date.
Festival screening marks the first stage
The official Dharamshala festival listing confirms the film’s inclusion and principal credits. A festival screening, however, is separate from a general theatrical or streaming release.
For Kulhari, Kinaare represents an opportunity to help shape a project beyond her performance. For audiences outside the festival, the next development to watch is a confirmed distribution announcement.
