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With less than four weeks remaining until the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), around 220 titles have been revealed in the line-ups across the Gala, Platform, Midnight Madness, Centrepiece, and Special Presentations sections. Prominently featured among them are works by Indian-Canadian filmmakers such as Richie Mehta’s Phoolan, Ian Bawa’s Strong Son, Dr Roshan Sethi’s The Surgeon, London-based Naga filmmaker Theja Rio’s Angh as well as Tamil director Karthik Subbaraj’s Dorothy.
In a major achievement for Malayalam cinema, director Samjad’s action drama Half has been selected for the iconic Midnight Madness section. Furthermore, under the festival’s Classic Cinema section, a newly restored 4K version of the late, legendary director John Abraham’s final masterpiece from 1986, Amma Ariyan (Report to Mother), will also be screened.
Phoolan
Starring Sneha Kumari as Phoolan Devi, director Richie Mehta’s Phoolan is based on the autobiography I, Phoolan Devi: The Autobiography of India’s Bandit Queen. The ensemble cast includes Anurag Thakur, Vikram Pratap Singh, Aakash Dahiya, Prateek Pachouri, and Devdutt Banodiya.
Phoolan Devi’s dramatic transformation from a Chambal dacoit to a Member of the Parliament was a subject of intense debate in India for over two decades. Richie Mehta’s narrative focuses heavily on the pivotal 48-hour standoff involving nearly 2,000 military personnel that ultimately led to her surrender.
This is not the first time Phoolan Devi’s story has reached the screen. Shekhar Kapur previously directed the acclaimed 1994 film Bandit Queen, starring Seema Biswas, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film alongside Best Actress for Biswas.
Richie Mehta, who is also behind the Emmy Award-winning Netflix series Delhi Crime (Season 1) and Amazon Prime’s Poacher, holds global streaming distribution rights for Phoolan via Prime Video.
“During the making of this film, I was granted complete creative freedom to translate my precise artistic vision onto the screen,” Mehta stated.
Mehta’s debut feature Amal was selected for the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival in 2007, earning Rupinder Nagra a Best Actor award at the 2008 Whistler Film Festival. His 2013 feature Siddharth garnered significant international acclaim at the Toronto and Pyongyang film festivals.
Strong Son
Ian Bawa, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, transitions from short films and news series to his debut full-length feature with Strong Son—an expansion of his acclaimed 2020 short film of the same name.
The story follows a bodybuilder son (Mandeep Sodhi) who steps away from his routine to become a full-time caregiver for his aging, ailing father (Amrit Parbhakar). The film also stars Michaela Kurimsky, Suzanne Pringle, Yuvraj Singh Dhesi, Erik Athavale, Onalee Ames, and Kristian Jordan.
“This is the most personal film that I’ve taken on, and I feel immense joy and responsibility to honour my father and family with it,” Bawa shared regarding the deeply autobiographical project.
Reflecting on growing up in Winnipeg—a city with a relatively small South Asian demographic during his youth—Bawa noted: “Because there were very few South Asians in my neighbourhood and school, I faced mocking from peers and spent my school years trying hard to hide my Indian identity. Over time, I realised that was wrong and that our culture is something to hold high.”
Following his mother’s passing when he was 20, Bawa witnessed his strict, resilient father struggle emotionally and physically. Setting aside past differences, they formed a close bond as mutual support systems.
“When one parent passes away, cracks form in the family’s foundation. When the other passes, you feel truly orphaned. My dad was my shadow, my muse, and my best friend. Now, I miss him a lot,” Bawa reflected.
Supported by friends, family, and public arts grants throughout production, Bawa said he is eagerly looking forward to the film’s global premiere.
Half
Directed by Samjad, Half stars Amala Paul, Abbas, Ranjith Sajeev, Sreekanth Murali, and Aishwarya Raj. The action thriller sets a historic precedent as the first ever Malayalam film selected for TIFF's Midnight Madness slate—a section dedicated to high-energy genre cinema designed to compete with Hollywood standards.
Produced by PK Sajeev and Anne Sajeev, the screenplay was co-written by the director alongside Praveen Viswanath. The technical crew features editing by Mahesh Bhuvanend, an original score by Midhun Mukundan, and sound design by Vishnu Govind.
The Surgeon
Dr Roshan Sethi (World’s Best, A Nice Indian Boy), a former radiation oncologist based in Boston, has written and directed the medical drama The Surgeon, starring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh in the lead role.
Angh
Angh, the debut film by Theja Rio, is premiering in the prestigious Platform section, which features just 12 standout films. Films chosen for this category are distinguished by their exceptional storytelling prowess and directorial brilliance.
Set in Nagaland in the 1960s, the film delves into the identity crisis experienced by a Konyak tribal chief upon the arrival of an American missionary in the region. The film stars Anghlong Konyak, Douglas Henshall, Sobino Rengma and Genpai Konyak in lead roles. It features cinematography by Adam Pietkiewicz, with editing by Tanya Chhabria.
Dorothy
Karthik Subbaraj presents his 10th feature directorial effort, Dorothy, starring Keerthy Suresh. Featuring a musical score by maestro Ilaiyaraaja, the cast also includes Sananth and Rishikanth.
The 51st TIFF takes place from September 10-20, 2026.
Suresh Nellikode has written fiction for Malayalam periodicals like Mathrubhumi and Kalakaumudi. He’s also been a contributor to The New Indian Express and Khaleej Times. He currently lives in Canada.