Indian Film 'Dupki' Premieres at Beijing Festival Without Its Cast; Director Denied Visa

PTI,  BEIJING, OCT 18, 2025 : Indian comedy film Dupki, which explores the dreams of three growing-up children from different backgrounds, premiered at the 6th Beijing International Children's Festival on Saturday, albeit without its director and cast. The four-day event, which began on October 16, featured 62 films, festival official Gavin Lee told news agency PTI. However, Dupki was screened at the festival without the presence of its director and actors, as they could not get visas.

"It is a pity that the filmmakers could not get visas," Lee said. Director Abhay Punjabi explained that despite his film being selected for screening, none of the Dupki team could obtain visas to travel to Beijing. Punjabi told PTI that his visa application was rejected by the Chinese Embassy in Delhi. He said he had submitted the visa application along with the official invitation letter from the organizers, but his application was "rejected" and no reasons were given for the rejection. "They did not mention any problem with my application," he said, adding that no one from the Dupki team could attend the film festival.

Punjabi, who was associated with the Pune-based Film and Television Institute, directed Dupki as his first independent film after working on several projects, including a series on Mahatma Gandhi. The Hindi-language comedy is slated for release in India, he said. Dupki follows the chaotic summer adventures of three children from diverse religious and economic backgrounds in Delhi.