51st Toronto Int'l Film Festival: 'Delhi Crime' fame Richie Mehta's Phoolan earns standing ovation

Amazon MGM Studios’ Hindi action drama Phoolan received a standing ovation at its world premiere during the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Directed and written by International Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Richie Mehta, the film was screened in the festival’s Special Presentation section at the Princess of Wales Theatre before an audience of more than 2,000 people.

The film stars Sneha Kumari as Phoolan Devi, alongside Anurag Thakur, Vikram Pratap Singh, Aakash Dahiya, Prateek Pachouri and Dev Dutt Budholiya. It is based on Phoolan Devi’s autobiography, I, Phoolan Devi: The Autobiography of India’s Bandit Queen, published by Editions Robert Laffont.

Phoolan focuses on a defining 48-hour period in Phoolan Devi’s life, depicting her confrontation with an armed group of nearly 2,000 men. The film presents the story of a young woman who challenges social conventions and fights to reclaim her dignity and identity.

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Speaking about the premiere, Richie Mehta said that Phoolan Devi’s story “demands to be told with honesty and without compromise”. He added that the film attempts to move beyond the mythology surrounding her life and reveal “the human underneath”.

“The themes at the heart of her story—resilience in the face of adversity, the search for dignity, and the courage to claim one’s own voice—are timeless,” Mehta said. He also described the audience’s reaction at TIFF as a sign that the story had connected with viewers across cultures.

Shilangi Mukherji, Director and Head of SVOD Business, Prime Video, India, said Mehta was known for telling stories with “quiet, unflinching honesty”. Referring to the filmmaker’s earlier work, Poacher, she said Amazon MGM Studios had backed his vision and creative freedom for Phoolan.

Shareen Mantri, Producer at Namah Pictures, called the premiere “a moment of immense pride”. She praised Mehta’s sensitive filmmaking and Sneha Kumari’s performance, saying the actor had delivered a portrayal that could resonate deeply with audiences.

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Produced by Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kishor Arora, Kanwal Kohli and Richie Mehta, Phoolan is a Namah Pictures production. Following its TIFF premiere, the film will stream on Prime Video in India and more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.