Film archive, 2026

Selvi

Director Sailesh RATHNAKUMAR

1Festival entries

★Avg. rating

The film opens with Selvi and her friends smiling brightly and laughing as they fly kites on the beach. Having come to the city to support her family, Selvi works as a home-care worker while dreaming of becoming a ‘real’ nurse and going to Dubai one day. When her friend Kavitah attempts suicide after a breakup, Selvi ends up taking on Kavitah’s shifts as well. Her 12-hour shift becomes 24 hours, then 48, then 72, and during that time Selvi sinks deeper into fatigue and helplessness she is unable to divulge to anyone. In Tamil, ’selvi’ is a respectful form of address for an unmarried young woman. Therefore, the title Selvi not only refers to one particular individual but also symbolizes the countless women who live without a name of their own. Sailesh Rathnakumar follows Selvi with an ever-shaking camera, capturing her unraveling life and the truth that lies beyond. Anjali Patil, who stars in and also produces the film, breathes life into the nameless ’selvi’ through her delicate and nuanced performance.

Stills5

Film details

Director: Sailesh RATHNAKUMAR
Country/Region: India, Saudi Arabia
Year: 2026
Length: 97min
Elsewhere: Letterboxd IMDb Wikidata TMDB Douban

Director

Sailesh RATHNAKUMAR

A writer-director and Prague Film School alumnus. He directed the short films In the Moment (2016), LILA (2017), and MUJ KUFR (2018). Selvi, which he directed and co-wrote, marks his feature directorial debut.

From Busan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31

Credits

Director: Sailesh RATHNAKUMAR
Executive producer: Hema Prakash MANOHARAN, Monali BHARDWAJ
Producer: Anjali PATIL
Cast: Anjali PATIL, Swathy KRISHNAN, Vinoth KISHAN, Archana PADMINI, Raja KRISHNAMOORTHY, Mekha RAJAN, Semmalar ANNAM
Cinematography: Bargav SRIDHAR
Production design: Shanoo MURALIDHARAN
Editing: Sreekar PRASAD
Music: Suren Vikhash U
Sound: Anand KRISHNAMOORTHY
Production company: Anahat Films

Festival appearances1

Choose a festival entry to see its screenings, articles and audience reviews.

SelviBusan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31Vision: Asia

Festival history1

釜山国际电影节, 2026Vision: Asia, Official selectionHylife Vision AwardTaipei Film Commission Award

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