Indian filmmaker Pushpendra Albe is preparing to shoot his next feature entirely in Sri Lanka, focusing on an aspiring cricketer from Jaffna. This follows the international festival acclaim for his recent film Joothan. The project highlights Sri Lanka's cricket culture and aims to elevate the country in global cinema.
Pushpendra Albe, an Indian director known for tackling social issues, has announced his upcoming feature film set entirely in Sri Lanka. The story follows the journey of a young cricketer from Jaffna in the Northern Province, exploring his challenges and dreams of playing for the national team. Currently in pre-production and casting phases, filming is slated to start later this year.
This development comes on the heels of success for Albe's latest work, Joothan. The film, which addresses caste discrimination in India's primary education system, has earned four official selections at prominent Indian festivals in 2026. It is a finalist at the Jaipur International Film Festival and the Vindhya International Film Festival, and has an official selection at the Noida International Film Festival. Albe wrote, directed, and produced Joothan under the Adopt A School Films banner, alongside Nikil Pranav R. The cast includes Devesh Ranjan in the lead, with supporting roles by Kuldeep Kumar, Naresh Kumar, Vikram Singh, Sandeep Gupta, Dinesh Sharma, and Rimjhim Rajpoot.
Albe's previous films include the patriotic drama Sector Balakot from 2023 and Amaya from 2024. By rooting his new project in Sri Lankan cricket traditions, Albe seeks to spotlight the island nation on the world cinema stage. The move underscores growing cross-border collaborations in South Asian filmmaking.
