Richie Mehta’s Hindi action drama premiered at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre, with Sneha Kumari leading the cast as Phoolan Devi

Some stories arrive at a film festival with expectations already attached to them. Others create their own moment.

At the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Phoolan, the new Amazon Original Movie directed and written by Richie Mehta, premiered to a packed audience of more than 2,000 people at the iconic Princess of Wales Theatre. Presented in the festival’s prestigious Special Presentation section, the Hindi action drama received a standing ovation following its world premiere.

The film stars Sneha Kumari as Phoolan Devi, alongside Anurag Thakur, Vikram Pratap Singh, Aakash Dahiya, Prateek Pachouri and Dev Dutt Budholiya.

A Chapter Before the Legend

Based on Phoolan Devi’s autobiography, I, Phoolan Devi: The Autobiography of India’s Bandit Queen, published by Editions Robert Laffont, the film focuses on a defining 48-hour period in her life.

At its centre is a brutal siege involving an armed group of approximately 2,000 men, placing a young Phoolan Devi in circumstances where survival, resistance and personal agency collide.

Rather than approaching her only through the mythology that later surrounded her name, the film seeks to explore the woman behind the legend — and the formative experiences that shaped her.

For Mehta, that distinction was central to the film.

“It felt essential to me to strip away the mythology and reveal the human underneath.”

The filmmaker described the themes of Phoolan’s story — resilience, dignity and the courage to claim one’s own voice — as ideas that continue to resonate across cultures and generations.

Richie Mehta Returns with Another Indian Story

Phoolan also marks another collaboration between Mehta and Amazon MGM Studios following Poacher, the filmmaker’s critically acclaimed series inspired by the illegal ivory trade in India.

For Mehta, the move from Poacher to Phoolan represents a continued interest in stories rooted in real lives and complex social realities.

Shilangi Mukherji, Director & Head of SVOD Business, Prime Video, India, said the collaboration reflects Amazon MGM Studios’ approach of supporting filmmakers and allowing them the creative freedom to tell stories on their own terms.

She described Phoolan as a story whose themes extend beyond borders and language.

Sneha Kumari Steps Into the Title Role

At the centre of the film is Sneha Kumari, who takes on the demanding titular role of Phoolan Devi.

Her performance formed a major part of the film’s TIFF premiere, with the actor leading the cast on the red carpet alongside Anurag Thakur, Aakash Dahiya and Vikram Pratap Singh.

The premiere was also attended by Mehta and the film’s production team, including Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kanwal Kohli and Kishor Arora of Namah Pictures, alongside Shilangi Mukherji representing Amazon MGM Studios India.

A Story Moving Beyond Borders

For Namah Pictures, the TIFF premiere represents a significant international moment for a story deeply rooted in Indian history and experience.

Shareen Mantri, Producer, Namah Pictures, described the film as a story of courage and the strength of the human spirit, while highlighting Kumari’s performance and Mehta’s approach to the material.

The production brings together Namah Pictures’ connection to Indian storytelling, Mehta’s filmmaking and Amazon MGM Studios’ global distribution platform.

The result is a Hindi-language story being introduced to an international festival audience on one of cinema’s major stages.

From Toronto to the World

Following its world premiere at TIFF, Phoolan is set to premiere on Prime Video in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide soon.

Produced by Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kishor Arora, Kanwal Kohli and Richie Mehta, Phoolan is a Namah Pictures production.

For now, its first chapter belongs to Toronto — where a story about a woman who refused to disappear from history received its first international audience.