‘Adi Kailash’ selected for Dehradun International Film Festival 2026

my uttarakhand news Bureau
New Delhi/Dehradun, 20 Sep: The documentary, “Adi Kailash”, a cinematic journey into one of Uttarakhand’s most sacred and spectacular Himalayan regions, has been selected for the 11th Dehradun International Film Festival 2026, being held in Dehradun from 2 to 4 October 2026.
Directed by Harish Sharma and produced by Sandeep Jha, the documentary is inspired by noted author, educationist and veteran Himalayan trekker Dr Lalit Mohan Pant’s acclaimed book “Ajpathon Se Himshikharo Tak.”
Adding another distinguished connection to the film, Dr Pant was honoured under the 2023 Uttarakhand Sahitya Gaurav Samman with the Dr Pitambar Datt Barthwal Award. His writings and decades of experience in the Himalayan region provide the documentary with its literary and cultural foundation.
Dr Pant has narrated the Adi Kailash story in the Documentary himself.
The film is anchored by renowned actor and Pithoragarh native Hemant Pandey, who was conferred the prestigious Uttarakhand Gaurav Samman in 2024 for his contribution to cinema.
Through breathtaking Himalayan landscapes, local traditions, ancient beliefs and the experiences of pilgrims, Adi Kailash explores a world where nature, faith and human endurance come together.
The sacred Adi Kailash region, revered by devotees for its association with Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, emerges in the film not merely as a destination, but as a deeply personal and spiritual experience.
Director Harish Sharma, who spent five years from 1987 to 1992 in Pithoragarh as a journalist associated with Aaj, PTI and Dainik Jagran, shares a long personal connection with the region.
“For me, Adi Kailash is much more than a documentary. It is my tribute to the people, spirituality and extraordinary beauty of Pithoragarh and the Himalayas.
Its selection at the Dehradun International Film Festival is especially meaningful because the film is returning to the land from which its soul originates,” said Sharma.
Actor and anchor Hemant Pandey brings an equally personal dimension to the documentary. As a son of Pithoragarh, his narration connects the cinematic journey with the culture, emotions and identity of the region.
Producer Sandeep Jha said the documentary attempts to take an authentic Himalayan story to audiences beyond Uttarakhand, while preserving the spiritual and cultural essence of Adi Kailash.
The 11th Dehradun International Film Festival, scheduled for 2– 4 October 2026, will bring together feature films, short films, documentaries and filmmakers, providing a platform for diverse stories and independent cinema.
With an award-winning literary inspiration, a celebrated Uttarakhand actor as its anchor and the sacred Himalayas at the heart of its narrative, “Adi Kailash” represents a unique confluence of cinema, literature, spirituality and Uttarakhand’s cultural identity.
From the remote mountains of Pithoragarh to the film festival screen in Dehradun, Adi Kailash is now taking its Himalayan story to a wider audience carrying with it a timeless message of faith, perseverance and humanity’s enduring bond with nature.