On Monday, Prime Video made an official announcement about one of its original movie projects Phoolan, which has now been selected for a special presentation at the 51st edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Phoolan is written and directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Richie Mehta.
Set in the heartland of India, Phoolan tells the story of an impoverished 17-year-old girl who became one of the most famous outlaws in Indian history and the target of 2,000 heavily armed men sent to kill her. The film captures a brutal 48-hour siege that defies the conventions of action cinema. Inspired by the book I, Phoolan - The Autobiography of India’s Bandit Queen, by Phoolan Devi, the film captures defining chapter in her life, whereby thousands of men trap her in a village in an attempt to kill her.
Billed as an action drama, the film stars Sneha Kumari as Phoolan Devi, alongside Anurag Thakur, Vikram Pratap Singh, Aakash Dahiya, Prateek Pachori and Dev Dutt Budholiya in pivotal roles. Produced by Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kishor Arora, Kanwal Kohli, and Richie Mehta, Phoolan is a Namah Pictures production.
Phoolan will be showcased at on September 16 at 6 PM ET, at the Princess of Wales Theatre. TIFF 2026, which is known for presenting international cinema and bringing together films and filmmakers from across the world, is scheduled between September 10-20.
Richie Mehta is known for writing and directing acclaimed works like Amal (2004), Delhi in a Day (2016), and first season of popular Netflix series Delhi Crime (2019). His last project was the OTT series Poachers (2024), on which he served as creator, writer, and director.
