Kai Cech to Voice Lead in Himalayan Animated Feature ‘Lost in Mandala’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Kai Cech, who starred opposite Jack Black in “Dear Santa,” has been cast as the lead voice in “Lost in Mandala,” the first animated feature film from Incessant Rain Studios, which is in pre-production.

Cech will voice Shanti, a lonely 12-year-old who grew up in an isolated monastery in the Himalayas. Shanti and her friends are accidentally pulled into a magical world concealed inside a sacred mandala. The setting lulls her into a feeling of belonging she has always wanted, but nothing is as it seems. That belonging is shattered and a dark force threatens the world, and returning home means reckoning with the truth of her past and defeating a demon through compassion.

“My parents have always emphasized the importance of kindness to all and that my love and empathy for all living things is a superpower,” Cech said. “So this story really struck a chord with me since my character Shanti must find her inner strength through compassion, balance and mindfulness. It’s also a story of friendship and working together to discover who you truly are and what is really important. In addition, I’m just so excited to be a part of Nepal’s first global animated feature film and working with such talented creators.”

Kiran Bhakta Joshi created and directs the film. Joshi previously worked as a visual effects supervisor at Disney, with credits on “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “The Lion King” and “Beauty and the Beast.” The studio frames the project as a major step for Nepal’s creative sector, combining experience from the global film business with homegrown production capacity.

“Growing up in Nepal, I was surrounded by the rich mythology, folklore, and cultural traditions of the Himalayas,” Joshi said. “As a child, I helped create mandalas for traditional ceremonies, fascinated by their beauty without fully understanding their deeper meaning. With ‘Lost in Mandala,’ I want to bring this magical world to life through a story that is culturally rooted yet universally relatable. I’m thrilled to have Kai Cech bring Shanti to life and to collaborate with exceptional storytellers, Zack Stentz, Christopher Jenkins and Richard Chavez, whose creative vision is invaluable in bringing this story to audiences around the world.”

Zack Stentz, whose credits include “Thor,” “X-Men: First Class” and Netflix’s “Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous,” and Christopher Jenkins, whose credits include the Oscar-nominated “Surf’s Up,” “10 Lives” and “Home,” wrote the screenplay.

“As a longtime fan of Nepal and its people, I jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with my friend Kiran on ‘Mandala,'” Stentz said. “The result is a love letter to one of the world’s richest yet little-known cultures in the form of a plucky girl and her loyal friends’ adventures in a magical land.”

Joshi, Stentz, Jenkins and Nakim Uddin are executive producers, and Deepa Chipalu Joshi produces. Richard Chavez, whose credits include “The Prince of Egypt,” “Mulan” and “Hotel Transylvania,” is production designer. NIBL Equity Partners is a production partner on the film.

“Stepping inside the mandala means entering a world where logic bends, geometry comes alive, and the landscape changes with your emotions,” Jenkins said. “In writing Shanti’s adventure, my goal is to create a mind-bending, topsy-turvy odyssey that matches the deep, beautiful spirituality of the Himalayas with a high-stakes fantasy world global audiences have never seen before.”

Cech grew up in Northern California and modeled in print for Gap, Old Navy, Mattel and Gymboree before moving into film and television. Her first lead film role, as Gwynn Tan, was in 2022’s “American Girl: Corinne Tan.” She starred with Black in “Dear Santa,” a Paramount holiday comedy, in 2024 and appeared in “Marshmallow,” an independent horror film, in 2025. Osbrink, Paradigm and Brillstein Entertainment Partners represent her.

Incessant Rain is an animation, visual effects and game development studio. It makes its own films and games and also provides animation, VFX and production work for international and regional partners.