Manisha Makwana’s ‘Gudgudi’ Starring Ahsaas Channa, to be Screened at the 79th Cannes Film Festival!

Headlined by Ahsaas Channa, Produced by White Peacock Films and Mukesh Chhabra, the short film Gudgudi has its market premiere under the Marché du Film segment at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, 2026, running from 12-23 May, 2026.

Making her debut as a director and at Cannes, #ManishaKMakwana has spent nearly a decade working behind the scenes on shows like The Family Man, Farzi, Guns & Gulaabs and Citadel: Honey Bunny with D2R Films. Drawn to character driven stories and quiet, honest moments, her work blends humor with emotional truth, shaped by her mentorship with Raj & DK and writer Suman Kumar.

Talking about her film and its Cannes celebrations, Manisha says, “Gudgudi comes from a very personal place, so watching it grow into what it is today and be showcased on an international platform like Cannes is incredibly surreal. It stands as a testament to faith, self-belief, and the power of telling an honest story.”

Presenting the film as co-producer is industry mover and shaker Mukesh Chhabra. Talking about his association with the film and Manisha, he says “An endearing thing about Gudgudi is it’s a very heart touching story. The moment Purvi and I read it, we fell in love with it and we knew. And the idea behind bringing Ahsaas onto the film was that we were very excited to give Manisha’s vision an honest life and see the wonderful chemistry between this incredible director and actor pair. The film has turned out remarkable. I am thrilled to be on this journey and proud of how the film is touching so many people and taking its own course. It certainly is, a very exceptional film.”

Talking about being part of Gudgudi and her first film screening at Cannes, #AhsaasChanna says, “It feels surreal… I started as a child actor with just a dream, and today that dream is taking me to an international stage like Cannes. Gudgudi being my first film there makes it even more emotional. This moment means everything to me it’s not just a milestone, it’s a dream I’ve carried for years finally coming true.”

Produced by #HarshvardhanPatel and his venture White Peacock films, distributed by Crewbella, Gudgudi has already created quite a stir within the industry and hoping to make India proud at the international film festival(s).

By Keerti Kadam