Community

Jitendra Kumar and Pooja Bhatt to Lead Film on India’s Age-Old Pigeon-Flying Tradition

Pooja Bhatt and Jitendra Kumar play mother and son in a new film on the tradition of pigeon-flying. PHOTO: Altair Media

Jitendra Kumar is set to headline a new film alongside Pooja Bhatt. The film explores a heartfelt story set in the rare and culturally rich world of kabootar–baazi, India’s age-old pigeon-flying tradition.

Jitendra Kumar, loved for his performances across Panchayat, Kota Factory, Jaadugar, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan and the recently released Bhagwat: Chapter One – Raakshas, has been portraying diverse characters and his new role as a passionate kabootarbaaz adds another shade to his journey through this socially rooted narrative.
National award winner Pooja Bhatt is set to portray Jitendra’s on-screen mother, marking a return to an intimate performance space she has been celebrated for, including Zakhm, Tamanna and Daddy.

The film is produced by Khyati Madaan under her banner Not Out Entertainment and co-produced by Hitesh Kewalya, known for writing Shubh Mangal Saavdhan and writing and directing Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan. It is written and directed by Bilal Hasan, whose award-winning short film Chupchaap also earned a Filmfare nomination. This marks his feature directorial debut.

Set against the backdrop of kabootar-baazi, a traditional practice of training homing pigeons and flying them from neighborhood rooftops, the film explores a culture that continues to thrive in old Indian mohallas and among pigeon-racing circles worldwide. While the setting adds a fresh cultural lens, the story remains deeply human and personal. The filming begins next year.

Advertisement

Any shape

Not Out Entertainment continues to build a slate of genre-bending cinema. The banner is currently producing Abhootpurva, a rom-horror-com set in 1990s Agra, starring Ritwik Bhowmik and an ensemble of seven acclaimed actors. Following Abhootpurva, Not Out will produce a horror film inspired by a real-life national tragedy, starring Ahan Shetty. 

Advertisement

Wide · 970×250 or 728×90
Front page of the South Asian Herald E-Paper, October 22, 2026 edition

E-Paper · October 22, 2026

SAH E-Paper 22nd October

Read the E-Paper

Earlier editions: Oct 15 · Oct 8 · Oct 1 · All

The SAH E-Paper

The week’s reporting on the diaspora, Washington and South Asia. Free, every week.

Unsubscribe any time.