BAFTA Breakthrough Fellow Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy is set to direct “Teacher’s Pet,” a coming-of-age comedy set in an all-girls Catholic boarding school in India.
The project is being presented at the WAVES Film Bazaar, the market component of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
“Jubilee” (Prime Video) and “Black Warrant” (Netflix) filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane is on board as executive producer with his Andolan Films. Based on a script by Shuchi Dwivedi, the film is being produced by Aishwarya Sonar’s Lambe Log Productions and Dwivedi’s Small Town Gurl Productions.
“Teacher’s Pet” follows Rinky, an overachiever determined to become head girl of her school, until her ambitions are derailed when she finds herself pitted against her former best friend. What begins as a rivalry spirals into a chaotic, heartfelt journey through adolescent identity, friendship, and the universal awkwardness of growing up.
The project is driven by a creative team working at the India-U.S. intersection. Having spent their own teenage years searching for themselves in coming-of-age stories centred on white protagonists, the filmmakers are determined to broaden the narrative landscape.
“We are committed to telling Indian stories for the world. ‘Teacher’s Pet’ lets us do exactly that, as we explore the chaos of teenage life. We grew up searching for ourselves in coming-of-age stories about white girls. With this, we’re working towards being part of that change, not just for representation’s sake, but also to showcase the vibrant universe of Indian comedies, which are rare on global screens,” says Aishwarya Sonar whose recent work includes short films “Yakshi” (starring Babil Khan and Anna Ben) and “Hema” (starring Rajshri Deshpande) under her production company, Lambe Log Productions.
Financing is being raised through private equity, international co-production partners, and non-recoupable grants. The team has already secured a commitment of $200,000 and is in active discussions with new investors and production companies.
The script was developed during Dwivedi’s time at AFI and since has been shortlisted for Mubi’s Cannes W Scripted programme, was a semi-finalist at the Emerging Screenwriters Comedy Competition, and won the IFFLA Pitch Competition in 2024. The project has also participated in Tasveer’s Producers Lab and has been showcased at markets including IFFLA, CineV, and now part of the Co-Production Market at WAVES Film Bazaar 2025.
Casting is currently underway, with production planned for December 2026 in Madhya Pradesh, India. Murthy has previously directed the Kannada language feature “Aachar & Co.” and the documentary series “Jeevalahari” (Doordarshan). Her latest Kannada-language feature “13 Days,” is currently in post-production.
“We’re positioned to deliver: our director sold her debut to Amazon Studios, and our EP is behind many successful Indian titles; we’re now seeking global partners to help bring this story to screens worldwide,” adds Sonar.
