Richie Mehta’s Phoolan Gets Standing Ovation at Toronto Film Festival
Richie Mehta’s Phoolan received a standing ovation at its world premiere at TIFF, with Sneha Kumari playing Phoolan Devi in the Hindi action drama.
Richie Mehta’s Phoolan received a standing ovation at its world premiere at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The Amazon Original Movie was screened at the Princess of Wales Theatre as part of the festival’s Special Presentation section before a packed audience of more than 2,000 people.
The Hindi action drama stars Sneha Kumari as Phoolan Devi, alongside Anurag Thakur, Vikram Pratap Singh, Aakash Dahiya, Prateek Pachouri and Dev Dutt Budholiya. The film is based on Phoolan Devi’s autobiography, I, Phoolan Devi: The Autobiography of India’s Bandit Queen.
Directed and produced by Richie Mehta, the film focuses on a defining 48-hour period in Phoolan Devi’s life involving a siege by an armed group of around 2,000 men. Mehta said he wanted to move beyond the mythology surrounding Phoolan Devi and explore the person behind the widely known legend.
The filmmaker said the enthusiastic TIFF response suggested that the story connected with audiences as intended. Producer Shareen Mantri Kedia also praised Mehta’s approach and Sneha Kumari’s performance.
The film’s cast and creative team attended the Toronto premiere. Produced by Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kishor Arora, Kanwal Kohli and Mehta under Namah Pictures, Phoolan will stream on Prime Video in India and worldwide. Its release date has not yet been announced.
