Sep 09, 2026 5:30am IST
‘The Ink-Stained Hand and the Missing Thumb’ Scores Nomination for Best Screenplay at the 19th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (EXCLUSIVE)
“The Ink Stained Hand & The Missing Thumb,” written and directed by Yashasvi Juyal, has been nominated for Best Screenplay at the 19th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, marking a new recognition for the debut feature following its World Premiere in the Proxima Competition at the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The film reflects on memory, place and the traces people leave behind.
Set in Juyal’s hometown of Dehradun, “The Ink Stained Hand & The Missing Thumb” unfolds against a Himalayan landscape reshaped by a highway and the movement of people. At its heart is Rajji, who, after her lover’s death in an accident, begins encountering traces of his return. Drawing from Uttarakhand’s folklore and migration histories, Juyal explores what happens when home itself begins to change. The film features Bhumika Dube, Dheeraj Kumar and Sudarshan Juyal.
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About the nomination, Juyal says, “I’m extremely honored to be a part of such a prestigious tribe. This is a small film with a big heart, made with the incredible support of a local crew and the residents of my hometown, Dehradun. When Ankit and I were writing the screenplay, we never imagined where this journey would take us, or whether the film would ever see the light of day. To have reached this point feels incredibly fulfilling.”
The Best Screenplay nomination recognizes the precision of this world-building: a screenplay that understands place not as scenery, but as part of the story’s emotional fabric. Executive producer Shaunak Sen adds, “The mix of ineffable magical grief, uncanny romance and folklorish humor in ‘The Ink Stained Hand and The Missing Thumb’ felt palpable from the time of the screenplay. I’m delighted to hear that Yashasvi’s sparing, elliptical story has been chosen for the Asian Pacific Screen Award.”
Talking about the universe created in the film, producer Vikas Kumar shares, “Yashasvi Juyal and Ankit Thapa have created a world that is deeply rooted in a specific place, and yet finds something universal in love, loss, memory and the strange ways in which time moves. The film is set in Yashasvi’s hometown, Deh. Its story and characters resonate particularly strongly with us, as Sharib (friend and producer Sharib Khan) and I spent our formative years there, at boarding school. There is something very special about seeing a place that shaped us reflected through Yashasvi’s very personal imagination.”
Produced by Viraj Sikand, Sharib Khan and Vikas Kumar (“Songs of Forgotten Trees”), Bhavna Kankaria and Neha Kaul (“Sabar Bonda,” “Shadowbox” (Baksho Bondi) and “Stolen”), the film is an India-US-Saudi Arabia co-production. “The Ink Stained Hand & The Missing Thumb” is presented by Ammi Media, Silvercord Films and Khan & Kumar Media, in association with 39/6 and Kite Rabbit Films. The film is co-produced by the Red Sea Fund and supported by Visions Sud Est, Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum and Netflix’s Take Ten initiative.
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