Manisha Koirala is set to lead Cowgirls & Indians, an independent feature from writer-director Tejal Desai that is scheduled to begin filming in November 2026 around Austin, Texas, and nearby locations. Produced by Kirtana Banskota, the film centres on Asha, a middle-aged Indian woman whose experience at a Texas cattle ranch opens the door to an unexpected friendship, cultural discovery and a different view of her life. The project was previously titled Cowboys & Indians.
The story places Asha in an environment far removed from the world she knows. During her time at the ranch, she encounters a cattlewoman who introduces her to cowboy culture and becomes an important influence on her. What begins as a visit gradually becomes a personal journey, as Asha discovers confidence and purpose through a community she never expected to enter.
The feature is the latest stage of a project Desai has developed for years. Its roots lie in Cowboys and Hindus, a short film that introduced the same basic story and characters. The 16-minute short had its world premiere at the 2025 Indie Meme Film Festival in Austin, placing the story in the Texas setting that remains central to the feature.
The short also established the project’s early industry track record. Cowboys and Hindus won Best Director at Rock The Shorts and Best Short Film at the Indic Film Festival, while the screenplay won the Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting competition and the CineStory Screenwriting Competition. Those achievements gave the feature concept recognition before it moved toward production.
The film’s most distinctive element is its meeting of South Asian heritage with Texas ranch culture. Instead of presenting those worlds as a simple contrast, Desai uses their connection to examine how an unfamiliar place can change someone’s understanding of home, independence and belonging. The ranch landscape becomes part of Asha’s transformation, giving the story a setting closely tied to its central character.
For Koirala, the screenplay offered a role with a quality she has said is still uncommon for women of a certain age. She explained that, after meeting the team, speaking with Desai and hearing his intentions for the story, she felt the film could cross cultural boundaries while remaining enjoyable. Her decision brings a recognised South Asian performer into an American independent production.
Desai also arrives with a substantial screenwriting background. He is an Academy Gold member and an AMPAS Nicholl Fellow, having won the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting for Linda and Henry. He has also written for Disney, Focus Features and Lifetime, while the feature screenplay for Cowboys and Hindus earned recognition before the current production plans.
Texas is closely connected to Desai’s creative approach. His Austin background and interest in cattle culture have informed the project, while the region offers locations and local filmmaking resources suited to the story. Banskota is producing, helping move the feature from development toward its planned shoot.
The casting adds another dimension to Koirala’s career. Her filmography includes Dil Se and 1942: A Love Story, while her recent appearance in Netflix’s Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar introduced her work to another international audience. Cowgirls & Indians now places her at the centre of a story created around an Indian woman navigating an unfamiliar American landscape.
With production approaching, the project has a clear path from short film to feature. More importantly, it has retained the personal idea that first shaped it: a woman enters a world she does not know and finds an unexpected way to reconnect with herself and others. That foundation gives Cowgirls & Indians a distinctive identity as it moves into its next chapter.
