The deal brings together producers from three European countries to support the India-set story, which follows a 19-year-old tribal girl from south India who moves to the city to pursue her dreams. After marrying the man she loves, she uncovers a female foeticide plot threatening her friend and must choose between her marriage and saving an unborn child when her husband accepts a bribe to silence the illegal gender-based pregnancy scheme.
Saraswathi, known professionally as Vani, first pitched “Neelu” at the Film Bazaar’s Co-Production Market in 2023, where it gained early support from industry figures including Anu Singh, Vivek Mirchandani, Dora Babu and Mike Yattam. The director is a celebrated leader in the animation and VFX space who was instrumental in setting up the Academy Award-winning studio Rhythm & Hues in India, Malaysia and Taiwan. Her credits include visual effects work on “The Hunger Games,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “R.I.P.D.” and “Snow White and the Huntsman.”