Sabar Bonda, the Rohan Parashuram Kanwade-directed Marathi feature film, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, will be distributed in India by filmmaker Rana Daggubati's Spirit Media.
Rana had earlier come on board to distribute Payal Kapadia's Cannes Grand Prix winner All We Imagine as Light in the country.
Titled Cactus Pears in English, the movie follows Anand, a city-dweller grappling with personal loss and familial pressures, as he embarks on a 10-day mourning ritual in his ancestral village. Amid the rugged beauty of western India, he finds solace and connection with Balya, a childhood friend facing similar issues.
"At Spirit Media, we champion great stories that can transcend beyond languages and borders. Sabar Bonda has carried Indian cinema to new heights on the global stage; all credit to Rohan for bringing such honesty and tenderness to it and the producers for supporting this film's journey," Rana said in a statement.
Writer-director Rohan said the film reimagines one of the most intimate experiences of his life into a story about "love, acceptance, and resilience".
"To see it resonate with audiences across the world has been overwhelming in the best way, but bringing it home to India carries a different kind of fulfillment. With Spirit Media, I believe Sabar Bonda will truly find its way to hearts across India,” he added.
Sabar Bonda is produced by Neeraj Churi, Mohamed Khaki, Kaushik Ray, Naren Chandavarkar, Sidharth Meer, Hareesh Reddypalli, Jim Sarbh, Neha Kaul, and Rajesh Parwatkar.
In a joint statement, the producers called the film a "labour of immense passion" that was brought to life through collaboration across borders and communities.
"We believe it marks the beginning of a larger journey for films like ours to claim their space in Indian cinema,” they said.
After Sundance, the film has been screened at over 25 international festivals, including SXSW, San Francisco International Film Festival, and IFFLA.
The cast of the film includes Bhushaan Manoj, Suraaj Suman, and Jayshri Jagtap.