Phoolan, Richie Mehta’s film based on Phoolan Devi, to premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival
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The official poster of Phoolan
Phoolan, a biopic on the dreaded Chambal dacoit Phoolan Devi, will premiere at the upcoming 2026 Toronto International Film Festival in September this year. The film has been backed by Prime Video.
Phoolan, a film by filmmaker Richie Mehta and based on dread Chambal dacoit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi, is all set to premiere at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September this year. The film is a Prime Original and will get a direct OTT release on Prime Video. A release date has not been announced so far.
Phoolan to premiere at TIFF
According to a press release shared by Prime Video, the Hindi-language movie will be screened at the festival on September 16 at the Princess of Wales Theatre as part of the Special Presentations section at this year’s edition of the festival.
Written and directed by Mehta, the film is produced by Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kishor Arora, Kanwal Kohli and Mehta under the banner of Namah Pictures.
Inspired by the 1997 book I, Phoolan - The Autobiography of India's Bandit Queen, the film chronicles a defining chapter in the life of Phoolan Devi, when thousands of armed men surrounded a village in an attempt to kill her.
Set in the heartland of India, the film follows the journey of an impoverished 17-year-old girl who went on to become one of the country's most infamous bandits. According to the makers, the story centres on a brutal 48-hour siege mounted by more than 2,000 armed men.
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Phoolan features Sneha Kumari in the title role. Actors Anurag Thakur, Vikram Pratap Singh, Aakash Dahiya, Prateek Pachori and Dev Dutt Budholiya also feature in pivotal roles.
The Toronto International Film Festival, one of the world's leading film events, is regarded as a major platform for international cinema. The festival will run from September 10 to 20.
Previous film based on Phoolan Devi
Mehta’s film Phoolan is not the first film on the bandit. A popular figure in the 1980s and early 1990s, Phoolan Devi inspired Shekhar Kapur to make the film Bandit Queen. The film starred Seema Biswas as Phoolan, with Nirmal Pandey, Aditya Srivastava, Gajraj Rao, Saurabh Shukla, Manoj Bajpayee, and Raghuvir Yadav in supporting roles. The film won three National Film Awards, including Best Actress for Seema Biswas and the Best Hindi Feature Film. However, its release was not without controversy. Phoolan herself opposed the film, threatening self-immolation if the film was released.