Anshuman Jha's production banner First Ray Films has announced a slate of six original films spanning 2026 to 2028, set to be showcased at the Marché Du Film during the Cannes Film Festival in May 2026. The actor-filmmaker and producer is positioning the venture as a counter to trend-chasing, emphasizing authenticity and cross-border storytelling over formulaic commercial cinema.

The production philosophy

Anshuman Jha outlined the studio's creative mandate in a statement: "The first decade was about discovering our voice. The next decade is about amplifying it, backing stories that matter, filmmakers who take risks, and cinema that can travel across borders without losing its soul. We're not chasing trends, we're building a space where authenticity leads." He underscored the importance of building an ecosystem for emerging filmmakers, one that educates them on marketing and distribution to ensure stories reach audiences beyond festival circuits.

Supporting emerging talent

The producer has backed actors Abhinav Jha and Samta Sudiksha, emphasizing that casting decisions are rooted in craft honesty rather than marquee value. This reflects a broader strategy to nurture talent alongside material, a departure from industry norms that often separate actor recruitment from story development.

The 2026 releases

Om Ka Hari, starring Anshuman Jha, Raghubir Yadav, Soni Razdan, and Ayesha Kapur, is slated for early 2026. Director Harish Vyas noted the studio's "fearlessness" in approaching storytelling: "It's not about fitting into a mould, but about building something original. That trust empowers filmmakers to take creative leaps." Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business, featuring Anshuman, Adil Hussain, and Sarah Jane Dias, arrives in November 2026.

2027 and 2028 slate

The 2027 slate includes Bajrangi and Bhadyaa. Later in 2028, the studio releases But First, The Burning and Dhoori. Director Devashish Makhija, whose But First, The Burning anchors the studio's international ambitions, praised Jha's approach: "What First Ray stands for in today's scene is rare—a producer who doesn't just pull out all stops to protect the filmmaker's voice, but constructs wings to push it higher and further. Something increasingly difficult to find."

What this signals

The announcement reflects a broader shift in Indian independent cinema, where production houses are increasingly marketing creative autonomy and filmmaker-centric models as competitive advantages. First Ray Films' Cannes presentation positions it within a global art-cinema conversation, signalling ambitions beyond the domestic box office. This strategy mirrors international independent studios that have built audiences through festival circuits and streaming platforms, suggesting Jha is betting on a hybrid theatrical-digital distribution future.