UMBERKHIND- "The Throat of Death".
Directed by ANUPAM MITRA
India · 2026 · 20 min 16 sec · Experimental
Submitted to RTV International Film Festival 2026Synopsis
In February 1661, a massive Mughal vanguard under Kartalab Khan marches into the suffocating defiles of the Sahyadri mountains, unaware they are entering a lethal tactical trap. Outnumbered yet commanding the heights, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj executes a masterclass in guerrilla warfare at the Battle of Umberkhind—crushing imperial arrogance without a protracted siege.
About the film
Set in the rugged Western Ghats of 1661, Umberkhind chronicles one of the most brilliant tactical encirclements in Indian military history. Dispatched by Shaista Khan to seize the vital Konkan coastline, Mughal general Kartalab Khan and Rai Baghan lead a heavily equipped, 20,000-strong imperial army into a narrow, forest-choked mountain gorge. Lured deep into the dense canopy with promises of a swift descent, the Mughal columns are suddenly halted by fallen trees, sheer stone cliffs, and total silence. From the high ridges, the Maratha forces unleash a coordinated ambush of rolling boulders, precision archery, and psychological dread. Cut off from water, visibility, and retreat, the imperial force is brought to complete surrender within hours. Umberkhind is an atmospheric study of terrain, psychological warfare, and tactical mastery, proving that supreme knowledge of the land outweighs brute imperial might.
Director(s)
Babin Mitra is an Indian independent filmmaker, heritage curator, and visual designer specializing in period narratives, military history, and Indian cultural folklore. Blending traditional cinematic staging with cutting-edge AI-assisted visual pipelines, his work emphasizes tactical historical realism, rich atmospheric production design, and grounded human emotion. With a focus on indigenous defense strategies and regional epics, he strives to bring unsung chapters of Indian resistance to international screens through visually inventive, hybrid filmmaking methodologies.
Trailer
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RTV International Film Festival — Inaugural Online Edition · 2026