22-year-old filmmaker Karen Shiti Suvarna is already making big waves at the international stage with her first upcoming feature film, September 21. Ahead of its theatrical release in Hindi and Kannada on May 22, the film made its grand premiere at the Marché du Film at the 79th Cannes Film Festival 2026. Suvarna spoke to mid-day about her film, which revolves around the caregivers who deal with people with Alzheimer`s, and got candid about the film`s backstory and journey to Cannes.

Karen Kshiti Suvarna about September 21

Opening up about the film and its topic of Alzheimer`s, Survarna says, “The film is based on the subject of Alzheimer`s, and we are showing it through a different perspective, through the lens of the caregivers. It`s not only about the journey of an Alzheimer`s patient, but what we usually overlook is the caregiver`s journey that they have for themselves.”

Sharing how a lot of the crew have gone through the phase as caregivers, she reveals, “So our writer himself is an Alzheimer`s caregiver. His close family members were diagnosed with Alzheimer`s, and he lost them because of that. So he himself was a caregiver, and he had written this story. It was his story basically, and the producers who actually came on board discussed that their mothers are actually suffering from Alzheimer`s. So people who have joined hands for this film were people who have experienced it, who themselves are facing it. Although I have not had a personal experience of someone close being diagnosed with Alzheimer`s, I did visit these care centres.”

Talking about what made her make a film like that, she shares, “When I first heard the story, I felt it needed to be told. I feel many films have been made on patients showing their journey of how they deal with Alzheimer`s. But no particular film has actually dealt with a caregiver or what a caregiver goes through. They also go through an emotional or a mental trauma, which is often overlooked.”

Karen Kshiti Suvarna on September 21`s premiere at Cannes 2026

Further talking about her debut feature film premiering at Cannes 2026, Karen Kshiti says, “t`s definitely an overwhelming experience because I`m still in that stage where I`m taking it all in. It`s a big deal because Cannes is one of the world`s most prestigious film festivals that happens.”

She adds, “And my very first feature film, my debut feature, having a premiere at Cannes this year, does make a lot of difference. It will obviously share my current role in the future. And it also gives a sense of recognition. So definitely it is all emotions coming together.”