Shepherd Filmmaker's Debut Short Earns Prestigious Global Selection

In October 2025, the short film 'Nipaniya' (Dropless), produced by Kolkata's Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), has been selected for the 5th Red Sea International Film Festival's 'international shorts' competition section. The film, directed by Anamika Pal, presents the story of a new mother's crisis as her breast milk gradually dries up, examining gender bias and the indifference among women resulting from prolonged, silent oppression.

Pal, who belongs to the shepherd community in Uttar Pradesh, says this selection gives her courage as a filmmaker. She has never traveled outside her hometown or college city before, and is now excited to visit an entirely new country. The film was created by a three-woman team, including producer Gauri Maheshram, cinematographer Disha Sharma, and editor Rani Bed Banshi.

The short film depicts a new mother's desperate situation when her child's health is affected as her breast milk dries up during a mandatory 13-day stay at her in-laws' place for a funeral. The director was disturbed by the lack of empathy shown by the woman relatives, who described the mother's act of secretly drinking undiluted milk as a "crime" rather than understanding her crisis.