Indian Skateboarding Movie ‘Desert Dolphin’ Coming Soon to Netflix

The Upcoming Netflix movie, Desert Dolphin is a feature film and a social initiative, as explained by the official Instagram.

The film shines a spotlight on Indian culture and a teenager’s coming-of-age journey after being introduced to skateboarding.

Director, Manjari Makijany, makes her directorial debut with this film that she wrote with Vinati Makijany, her sister. Her husband is also part of this project, Emmanuel Pappas, as the producer of the film. 

The cast consists of a mix between newcomers, Rachel Sanchita Gupta and Shafin Patel, along with well-known Indian stars like Amrit Maghera and Waheeda Rehman. 

This is a must-watch since Makinjany is known for her beautiful award-winning short-films, The Last Marble (2012) and I See You (2017), both of which she wrote and directed. Makinjani has an impressive resume, from working as an assistant to the acclaimed director, Christopher Nolan, to being a shadow-director for the guilty pleasure Netflix show You. 

The skate-park the movie centers around, Desert Dolphin Skate Park, was built specifically for the film. It was constructed in the rural villages in the Khempur-Mavli district and its success was possible thanks to Indian and International volunteers, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The park remains open after filming and it is free for the public.

The film has not been released yet, however, it was played at a private screening at the Goa Film Bazaar and it was a great success. “We had a private screening for industry folks at the Goa Film Bazaar #B2B super thankful for all the love and support it’s received so far.” as the film’s official Instagram shared, reposting a video from the film director’s Instagram.

You won’t want to miss this film. It is set to air in 2021, with a Hindi/English language hybrid and an original score by Salim-Sulaiman.