As much as he dominates mainstream Hindi entertainment today, filmmaker Hansal Mehta’s home has always been independent cinema. It’s not surprising then that he has thrown his might behind debutant director Shashank Walia’s indie film, Hanere De Panchi. Alongside Sahil Sehgal and Reema Kaur, Mehta is serving as a producer of the Punjabi offering that explores the intersectionality of caste, class, gender and sexuality.   

“This is Hansal’s first independent film as a producer under his newly launched banner True Story Films. As a director, he has brought powerful stories and talent to the fore—from Shahid [2013] to Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story [2020]. As a producer, he wants to continue being a champion of fresh stories and support unique voices. After seeing some glimpses of the film, he was sure he wanted to lend his support to it,” revealed a source. Hanere De Panchi, co-produced by Mauli Singh-- who also stars in the film-- and Gagan Deep Kaur, is currently in post-production and is slated to arrive in theatres by the year-end. The source added, “Hansal is funding the film’s post-production work.”