Exclusive: At Cannes 2025, The Second Wind shines as India's only women-led film
Among the Indian films that were staged at the ongoing Cannes International Film festival, 'The Second Wind' remains the only women-driven project this year. Conceptualised, directed, and produced by debutant Indira Baikerikar, it's a film starring real-life athletes telling their own stories of struggles and achievements.IndiaToday.in spoke to Baikerikar, who was in Cannes, soaking in the beauty of the French Reviera and hoping to make her country proud by presenting a film which is a reflection of India's independent, passionate, resilient women.advertisementQ. Has the film been screened at the festival?
A. The film 'The Second Wind' has been appreciated by many buyers. It was screened in the business section.Q. Can you tell me what the reaction was, or anything else related to the screening?A. The film was very well appreciated. The concept - a story of four women - written, directed, and acted by women coming from India for the first time, took buyers across the US, Canada, and even the Asian market by surprise. They have responded very positively to the film and are eager to distribute it across their countries through various channels, which will be announced soon after its release.They praised the cinematography and the overall look of the film. They described it as a hybrid, part biopic, part fictionalised and appreciated the unique approach. The music was also well-received. Overall, they found the film refreshing, like a breath of fresh air, a healing cinematic experience.
Filmmaker, writer and actor Indira Baikerikar at Cannes 2025 (Photo: India Today)
advertisementQ. 'The Second Wind' seems like a passion project. What made you say this is the story you were going to pursue as part of your debut film?A. I truly believe 'The Second Wind' is my passion project, which is why I wanted it to be my debut film. Your first impression is your last impression. After this, two more projects are lined up—one of which is almost ready and should be completed within a month. That film is also a personal and passionate project. As for the third, it's still in process.One thing I firmly believe is that whatever you create with passion, whether the world accepts it or not, your heart will always speak the truth. If you follow trends blindly, like people do on Instagram, you'll be left behind. I believe in leading my own life, not walking in anyone else's footsteps. That's how I made this passion film.Q. This is a film about women, driven by women. How important is it for you that it gets its due on a global stage like Cannes?A. Whether it's Cannes, Toronto, London, Berlin, or IFFI, I believe women deserve to be seen and celebrated everywhere. Through this film, I wanted to represent Indian women and show that they are capable of doing everything. Internationally, Indian women are often portrayed as victims or just running behind bushes singing songs.advertisementBut for me, there's another side—the urban Indian woman, who leads a balanced life, managing both her personal and professional worlds with grace. Indian women are incredible multitaskers. They have their own passions and dreams. This film is for those women to inspire them to realise that it's never too late to start again and find their second wind.Q. How did the Cannes entry happen for you? Who thought about it?A. Cannes happened naturally, and I'm truly grateful. Like most filmmakers, I've always had a vision of reaching Cannes. With my debut film, I've made it. I'm thankful to the Indian Motion Pictures Association and all my mentors, especially my filmmaking mentors. It just happened, and it's one of the best things that could have happened.There's still a long journey ahead, and I'm excited to learn and witness the work of the world's greatest filmmakers. The film speaks for itself; it knew where it needed to go. The Second Wind needed a stage like Cannes, an audience that could truly appreciate it and show that a simple, beautiful story can become a powerful film.advertisementQ. How are you planning to take this story ahead?A. The story has already progressed. Ultimately, it should reach as many people as possible. My goal is for it to reach every household, society, and country, because women everywhere share the same emotions, values, and multitasking nature. I truly believe men should also watch and support women.After screening the film, I received heartwarming feedback. One person said, 'I'm going to speak to my wife and help her relive her life.' Another filmmaker shared, 'I connect with what my mother and sister feel.' Men are really connecting with the film, seeing their mothers, sisters, and partners in it. Out of 10 men, at least four or five spoke about how deeply the film resonated with them. That's a wonderful and meaningful compliment. Q. Is it difficult to find takers in the market for films solely led by women?A. It's not difficult at all. That's one of the reasons I am at Cannes. There were no women-centric movies coming from India, so that was one of the key motivations. This film is women-centric, directed, produced, and written by a woman, with an all-female cast. The real athletes are the actors. This is the main reason we are at Cannes.advertisementFor the first time, it's a hybrid of fiction and real-life stories. People have told me, 'You're really brave to do that,' but I did it because the originality and simplicity were compelling. For me, a film isn't something glamourised on screen; it's something that makes you feel like you're relating to someone sitting beside you. That's what cinema means to me.Q. How is 'The Second Wind' different from other women-led narratives?What sets 'The Second Wind' apart is that it's based on real-life stories of athletes, and the actual athletes are playing their roles, not actors. It was an effort, but it worked out really well. People didn't realise till the end that they were not actors.Also, I'm showing urban city life, which is rarely seen in women-centric movies. Most films focus on rural women, and while I respect them as the backbone of society, this part hasn't been touched. It's a hybrid of fiction and real-life stories, which makes it a unique and groundbreaking movie.advertisementQ. Do you think Indian women are more resilient and capable of making more balanced choices in life?A. Indian women are more resilient and capable of making balanced choices in life. We've seen our mothers and grandmothers lead lives where they take care of their families while working outside. In my house, all my aunts are working women, and my mom is a doctor. We never felt neglected. Taking care of a house is also a 24/7 profession, and Indian women are truly balanced. We are blessed to have that kind of culture in our society.Baikerikar made a powerful statement on the global stage as she attended the prestigious Cannes Film Festival on Friday, May 16, with the cast of 'The Second Wind'. Joining her were lead cast members Nandinee Khosla and Mallika Baikerikar, forming a proud all-women team that attracted attention not just for their elegant presence, but for the story they brought with them, a story rooted in strength, survival, and spirit.'The Second Wind' is a film shaped by lived experiences and emotional resilience. At its core is the story of Mallika Baikerikar, a national swimmer whose journey of healing and rediscovery after a life-changing event forms the emotional heartbeat of the film.Indira Baikerikar drew from this deeply personal journey to craft a narrative that resonates universally. The film also features the stories of other extraordinary women, like Mayura Shivalkar, a cancer survivor and marathon runner, whose lives add authenticity and emotional depth to the film.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Watch: Desi boys dazzle at Oxford University with Bollywood dance performance; Netizens are obsessed!
Oxford University is painted in the colours of Bollywood as a group of students decided to perform 'Desi Boyz' at the famous locations across the campus! The video went viral in no time, with netizens loving how Oxford University gets a taste of Bollywood. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The trending video of 'Desi Boys' dancing their heart out at Oxford University The video, which has created a stir on the internet, features a group of boys in their casual, comfy attire performing a swag-packed, energetic performance on 'Desi Boyz' in the gardens, halls, and stone paths of Oxford University. The shoot locations include Lady Margaret Hall and other iconic spots. Further, created by alumnus Druv Punjabi and his crew and shared by the handle @druvphk, the video has been posted with the caption, "Check out this incredible Bollywood dance video filmed at Lady Margaret Hall and other iconic Oxford spots – created by alumnus Druv Punjabi and crew." Check out the video here: Netizens can't get enough of it The dance video is being loved and appreciated for several reasons. Of course, the moves are too engaging to miss, and the energy is beyond the charts, but more importantly, it is the cultural infusion that is stealing hearts. Painting the foreign land in the colours of Bollywood with the famous John Abraham and Akshay Kumar song has impressed one and all. Released in 2012 as the title song for 'Desi Boyz,' this track, with its catchy lyrics and moves, was a big hit, and now again it is breaking the internet. It came as no surprise when the video went viral and the comment section got flooded with messages. 'God Bless you, Desi Boys - lovely to see the Indian Culture coming through to University Of Oxford,' commented a user. Another netizen wrote - 'Aah bollywood making it to Oxford halls, seriously vocal for local working guys'. A few more comments: 'This is super incredible... Such a big achievement... The halls of Oxford University echoing with bollywood mashups 🙌❤️' 'Loved the desi boys in Oxford. ❤️😍' 'You give me dance, culture, smile, Oxford, for me you devoured 🔥🔥'
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Reimagining Carnatic presentation
Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival (CTF) has become the most sought after event even for the established Carnatic musicians outside of India. The festival has been tirelessly engaging the Indian community across the American continent for an annual coming together that celebrates Carnatic as a tradition. This year, visiting the Cleveland festival for the eighth consecutive year is a Chennai-based music institution, Sishyakulam that has reimagined Carnatic tradition's presentation format. Its managing director, the young and vibrant Shankar Santhanagopalan, tells me more about the new format. But first, here are a few broad strokes that will paint the cultural scene of the Indian diaspora in North America. As much as the community is tuned to pop culture and contemporary forms, they prioritise classical artforms over others for their richness and depth. The feasibility and availability for this goes to the pioneering efforts of a few good Samaritans, who sowed the cultural seeds as early as the 1970s. Today many centres of performing arts have mushroomed in various parts. The Indian diaspora's socio-cultural engagements here not only exemplifies how they are dedicated in strengthening their cultural roots, but also demonstrates how traditions are inclusive. Through that lens, they add to India's unity and diversity in a far more pronounced manner. What was missing in this scenario was a place where parents and students could meet, interact with peers from other regions more often without always having to wait for their India trip. This need was met when Sishyakulam proposed the EPIC Choir. 'When we studied the Indian classical music landscape in the United States, we observed that the Carnatic music community was widespread but fragmented. EPIC Choir was conceived to be a platform to bring students from across the country together to be part of something larger than their regional exposure to the artform,' Shankar shared. 'The choral ensemble format enabled us to introduce young learners to contemporary compositions rooted in Carnatic idioms. Since its debut at the CTF in 2015, it has delivered nearly 50 original compositions — each crafted to balance artistic depth with accessibility,' he further explained.
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Micro-drama startups are vying with Reels and Shorts for screen time
Manisha, a 37-year-old domestic worker, boards a local train every morning from Sion to Dadar in Mumbai—her short 10-minute ride serving as a sanctuary removed from the humdrum and chaos of the day. Like many urban Indians, her wait time is also her watch time. On her smartphone screen, between jostling elbows and station stops, she watches short-form videos—sometimes a quick reel, sometimes a bite-sized soap opera on YouTube. While Reels and Shorts dominate screen time during commutes and idle moments, the human pull towards compelling stories remains strong. 'These few minutes are mine, I don't have time for full shows," said Manisha. This behaviour—short bursts of downtime spent snacking content—is precisely what a new wave of Indian startups is trying to tap into. Micro-dramas, 2 to 3-minute serialized episodes packed with plot twists and emotional payoffs, are vying for eyeballs that would otherwise be doomscrolling through Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts. 'We want to borrow time from Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts," says Kushal Singhal, founder of Flick TV, which recently raised $2.3 million in a funding round led by Stellaris Venture Partners. 'Storytelling was missing in snackable time. Everyone was consuming reels and shorts, but they weren't remembering them." A Flick TV series packs 50–60 micro-episodes, each 2–3-minute long—designed to fit into commute windows, tea breaks, or lunch lulls. Inspired by China's 3-7-21 content formula—scene changes every 3 seconds, hook every 7, and emotion shifts every 21—these bite-sized sagas aim to turn passive scrolling into active engagement. Also read | Instagram's 'Blend' lets friends share Reels; influencers see audience surge While 70% of India's video consumption now happens on mobile, attention spans have plunged. 'We're adapting storytelling to fit the new attention window," says Singhal. 'The audience hasn't disappeared—they've just changed formats." Unlike traditional user-generated content (UGC), these platforms focus on Professionally Generated Content (PGC) across genres like love, crime, heartbreak, and fantasy. The audience is largely commuters, shopkeepers, and housewives—people with 'wait time," not 'spare time." Another entrant, Bullet, co-founded by Azim Lalani and backed by Zee Entertainment, is going even deeper beyond metros to tier-2 and tier-3 towns. Bullet is preparing to launch in seven regional languages across India. 'This is the same audience that used to watch 30-minute soap operas—now they want that in two minutes," says Lalani. Each Bullet story spans 60–100 minutes, with serialised episodes running between 60 and 120 seconds. Moreover, Lalani emphasised their focus on culturally-resonant content. 'We don't want to show a lot of things which are not acceptable as Indian culture," he said. Read this | Shorts and reels make Netflix to Amazon Prime sweat Gamified mechanics let users unlock episodes via daily check-ins, referrals, and earned tokens. 'It's not just content—it's entertainment layered with game design, affordability, and personalization," Lalani explains. Monetisation remains a challenge Despite the promise that short videos hold, monetization remains the single biggest challenge for micro-drama platforms. 'Advertising is constrained by India's low cost per mille (CPMs), and subscriptions rarely work for short-form content. Micro-payments may hold promise—but they remain unproven at scale," says Ashish Pherwani, partner, media and entertainment at EY India. Advertising revenues alone may not be enough to sustain high-quality micro-drama production, he added. Bullet and Flick TV both plan to experiment with micro-payment models—users can unlock episodes individually or opt into flexible subscription packs. Brand integrations and narrative-based product placements are also being explored as alternative revenue streams. 'There's a belief that good content is platform-agnostic," says Pherwani. 'But short-form alone doesn't guarantee stickiness. You need compelling stories, not just format." Also read | Long-format content consumption growing on YouTube in India as connected TV penetration deepens Newer entrants are building with a tech-first and data-backed approach. 'The real moat is on the supply side: content velocity and hit rate," says Mayank Jain, principal at Stellaris Venture Partners, adding that this category won't be built on branded talent or stars—it'll be built on compelling storylines and high-volume original content. Bullet is already building a Customer Data Platform (CDP) from day one to track viewer behaviour, content preferences, and monetisation trends. 'Once you have this data, it will lead to better personalization and pricing strategies," says Lalani. Format is the wrapper, story is the core According to Tracxn data and Mint research, short-form video platforms in India are surging in 2025. Reel Saga, founded in 2024, has more than 50,000 downloads and raised $2.1M from Picus Capital. Flick TV crossed 50,00,000 downloads, while Reelies has downloads in excess of 500,000, more than 3,000 monthly content hours from 450,000 users, and viral hits like Contract Marriage with 3.5 million views. Kuku TV, launched by Kuku FM in 2025, crossed 5 million beta downloads, offering 2-min vertical dramas powered by its 45,00,000 million paying audio user base. However, industry veterans caution against chasing format fads. 'Micro-dramas are not new—we're just calling them something else," says Pherwani. 'What matters is the story. A strong IP should be adaptable to any format—film, audio, series, or short," he added. And read | Content studios turn to YouTube to launch new originals despite surge in premium streaming platforms But even as platforms fight for seconds of screen time, the goal remains simple: deliver emotional payoff in the least amount of time possible. As Lalani puts it, 'It's not spare time—it's wait time. And that's now becoming entertainment time."
