Cinema VinesOn Wednesday evening, Amazon MGM Studios’ new biopic “Phoolan” premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film, written and directed by Richie Mehta, was showcased in the festival’s coveted Special Presentation section at the iconic Princess of Wales Theatre, drawing an audience of more than 2,000 viewers.
The story follows the early life of Phoolan Devi, the Indian bandit who later became a legislator. Based on her autobiography, “I, Phoolan Devi: The Autobiography of India’s Bandit Queen,” the movie focuses on a brutal 48‑hour siege in which she confronts an armed group of 2,000 men. Mehta explained that he chose to depict the formative years before Phoolan’s fame, stripping away myth to reveal the human beneath. He said, “Phoolan Devi’s story is one that demands to be told with honesty, and without compromise…the themes of resilience, dignity, and the courage to claim one’s voice are timeless.”
Sneha Kumari stars as Phoolan, leading the film’s contingent at the festival. Co‑stars Anurag Thakur, Aakash Dahiya, and Vikram Pratap Singh joined her on the red carpet, while writer‑director‑producer Richie Mehta and producers Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kanwal Kohli, Kishor Arora of Namah Pictures, and Shilangi Mukherji of Prime Video, India, represented Amazon MGM Studios, India.
The premiere was met with a standing ovation, as the packed auditorium rose to their feet in applause. Mehta expressed that witnessing the audience’s reaction confirmed that the film had connected “in exactly the way we hoped it would.” The film’s success at TIFF underscores the global reach of Amazon’s collaborative platform and the enduring relevance of Phoolan Devi’s story.
