The first image that came to me was simple: an unaware innocent boy holding something provocative like a sex object trying to mimic a dystopian world he lives in. It really gave me wings to express the thought that endlessly returns to me when I read world politics; the tug of war for power between the leaders who control the world is so primal and foolish that it just seems like a child’s play. Dulo isn’t about childhood sentimentally, it’s about what seeps into young minds when adults have failed. It examines how easily the mechanics of war get repeated without question: the gestures, the threats, the absurd rituals of power. The word “Dulo” itself is a crude taunt. It’s exactly how wars start, through comparison, through the need to prove dominance. I have tried to create a raunchy reflection. When we picture a child picking up a discarded object to feel powerful, we see the world we’ve made. This film is an attempt to examine that inheritance without judgment, allowing the image to speak for itself.

Mehkansh Kathuria is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans performance, writing, directing, and commercials.

His previous film Mirchi Café (2019) garnered over 20 awards and screened at more than 40 film festivals, including the Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival.

Kathuria’s artistic practice draws from diverse influences ranging from classical literature and music to contemporary visual art, creating work that challenges conventional narrative boundaries.

I’ve always been fascinated by humanity’s extraordinary capacity for adaptation; how we bend without breaking, especially in impossible circumstances. Born from late-night conversations about how children absorb and replicate the violence surrounding them, Dulo explores war through the most unexpected lens: childhood innocence. Mehkansh and I deliberately avoided easy answers, crafting a fictitious world told through a tongue-in-cheek style we hoped would feel both raw and authentic. In this borderless landscape, kids find ways to play and survive amid devastation, we wanted to capture something both heartbreaking and hopeful. Dulo represents our attempt at uncompromising cinema, the kind we aspire to make that invites viewers to see conflict through eyes unclouded by adult cynicism, a thought we hope will linger in viewer’s consciousness long after the credits roll.

Ajinkya Hukerikar is a New York-based filmmaker working at the intersection of storytelling and emerging technology. At 16, his short “The Trek” earned a Special Mention Jury Award at the International Children’s Film Festival of India (2013). An NYU alumnus, Ajinkya has worked with acclaimed filmmakers including M.M. Serra, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Sultan Sharrief, Toni Dove, and Terence Nance. Currently at Zero Density, a leading virtual production company, he consults clients across the US and Canada on implementing Virtual Production workflows and training. His films craft bold, culturally diverse narratives that capture universal human experiences while reflecting the complexities of our evolving societies. He is currently developing projects focused on authentic world-building through emerging technology in contemporary cinema.