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Directed by Vimukthi Jayasundara, the film is the only Indian co-production in the new competition section at the Busan International Film Festival.
Continuing the wave of Indian titles stamping their presence in the film festival season, filmmaker Nila Madhab Panda's (I Am Kalam, Kadvi Hawa) production Spying Stars has been selected in the inaugural competition section of the prestigious Busan International Film Festival, making it the only Indian feature to be chosen. The film is directed by Caméra d'Or-winning Sri Lankan Vimukthi Jayasundara (The Forsaken Land).
According to the makers, Spying Stars follows the journey of Anandi (Indira Tiwari), a bio-technician, who visits Hanuman Island to perform the last rites of her father but is immediately placed in quarantine in a remote hotel due to a pandemic caused by a machine-dominant world. When a mysterious star starts following her, she escapes and seeks refuge with a mother and her transgender daughter.
Madhab Panda said Spying Stars was first discussed before the pandemic and even much before the world fully understood the power of AI — and yet, the story has evolved to reflect both. "Some films are made because you believe in the story. But then there are films like Spying Stars, made because you believe in their soul. This is one of those rare, special films that’s not just created to be seen, but to be believed in," the filmmaker said in a statement.
Jayasundara said Spying Stars is a representation of how the tidy and "so-called device-controlled world we were familiar with broke down and became an unknown and uncomfortable reality." The director called it a "liberation film" that is spiritual in nature and asks one question: In a time of pervasive voyeurism and technological control, how do we retain our humanity?
Apart from Tiwari, whose credits include Gangubai Kathiawadi and Serious Men, the film also stars Kaushakya Fernando and Samanalee Fonseka.
Spying Stars marks the first of the new content slate for Madhab Panda's studio Eleeanora Images. Out of the three narrative features and two documentaries being set up at the studio, Madhab Panda's next as director—a departure from his earlier filmography—will go on the floors in early 2026.

The film is produced by Vincent Wang and co-produced by Arfi Laamba and Katharina Suckale of Bombay Berlin Film Productions, and Michel Klein.
The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) has launched a new, sweeping competition section for its 30th anniversary, transitioning from a non-competitive format to a competitive one.
The 14 competition titles will compete in five categories: best film, best director, special jury prize, best actor, and artistic contribution. The winners will receive a trophy created by acclaimed Thai filmmaker and artist Apichatpong Weerasethakul.