Two Nepali half-brothers run a poultry farm on the outskirts of a city. The older brother wants to expand the farm, while the younger dreams of becoming a soldier and settling down with his girlfriend. When their livelihood is threatened by an outbreak of the avian flu, the older brother turns to the illegal trade of steroids by targeting military recruits, and drags his younger brother into the business. His girlfriend, who works in the beauty industry, decides to leave for Dubai in search of bigger opportunities. Set against the labor spaces of those pushed to the margins of society, such as poultry farms, military prep schools, construction sites, and shopping malls, the film delves into the social structures built upon a ruthless competition for survival. This debut feature by Vishwendra Singh was discovered by Film Bazaar’s WIP Lab, a major platform for independent films in South Asia. The title Khoriya, a term for traditional slash-and-burn farming system in Nepal, overlaps with characters who, unable to find their foothold anywhere, are pushed from one site of labor to another, and their displacement becomes someone else’s source of profit.
Vishwendra Singh is a filmmaker based in Delhi, India. From 2016 to 2019, he worked as an assistant director at Future East Film, gaining experience in film production. His first short film, Hauah (2020), screened and won awards at film festivals, including the New York Indian Film Festival, Dharamshala International Film Festival, and the Jagran Film Festival. Khoriya is his feature directorial debut.
From Busan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31
