Kidney
A minor family dispute spirals into deadly revenge. A breathtaking, fiercely independent drama from India.
“Kidney” is far removed from the familiar glamour and conventions of Bollywood. In a remote village, two rival families – one privileged Hindu, the other a struggling Muslim family – are trapped in an endless cycle of feuds. A young man dreaming of TikTok fame and a woman yearning to escape patriarchy fall in love. When an inheritance dispute erupts, their relationship is caught between greed, betrayal, and a conflict that threatens to turn blood against blood.
With remarkable precision, the film shows how a seemingly minor incident can escalate into a devastating chain of revenge, leading to a Shakespearean-scale family tragedy. Rooted in Hindi literature, it captures a rural India where digital aspirations collide with caste, religious and patriarchal structures. Shot on real locations with non-professional actors, it embraces striking vérité realism, while myth, surreal imagery, humor, and absurdity enter the picture.
Brothers Aakarsh and Agrim Sansanwal created this uncompromising film with a tiny crew, minimal resources and the active support of the local community. Sets and props were built together, turning the production into a collective experiment. The result is a raw, courageous, and genuinely independent vision of India – reflecting on identity, greed, faith, and the forces that have shaped human history.
Nikolaj Nikitin
Biography
Aakarsh Sansanwal and Agrim Sansanwal are brothers and Indian filmmakers based between Mumbai and Delhi. Aakarsh has worked as an assistant director with Reema Kagti, Abhinay Deo, and Pushpendra Misra. Agrim trained in filmmaking, specialising in editing. Agrim wrote and the brothers co-directed their debut experimental feature, “To Caterpillar, From Butterfly” (2021), with Aakarsh also serving as executive producer. Independently produced on a budget of under USD 3,500, the film was completed despite the disruptions to production caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequently screened at the Dharamshala International Film Festival and several other regional and international festivals.
Filmography
To Caterpillar, from Butterfly (2021, co-dir), Kidney (2026, co-dir)
Biography
Agrim Sansanwal and Aakarsh Sansanwal are brothers and Indian filmmakers based between Mumbai and Delhi. Aakarsh has worked as an assistant director with Reema Kagti, Abhinay Deo, and Pushpendra Misra. Agrim trained in filmmaking, specialising in editing. Agrim wrote and the brothers co-directed their debut experimental feature, “To Caterpillar, From Butterfly” (2021), with Aakarsh also serving as executive producer. Independently produced on a budget of under USD 3,500, the film was completed despite the disruptions to production caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequently screened at the Dharamshala International Film Festival and several other regional and international festivals.
Filmography
To Caterpillar, from Butterfly (2021, co-dir), Kidney (2026, co-dir)