Rohan Parashuram Kanawade's Sundance-Winning Sabar Bonda To Release In India; Check Out The Date

Sabar Bonda, Marathi for Cactus Pears, which was the first Marathi film to represent India at the Sundance Film Festival 2025, is all set to hit the Indian theatres. Written and directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, the film will be released in India on September 19, 2025.

It stars Bhushaan Manoj, Suraaj Suman, and Jayshri Jagtap, and is distributed by Rana Daggubati’s Spirit Media.

Sabar Bonda scripted history this year by becoming the first-ever Indian fiction feature to win at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the prestigious Grand Jury Prize under the World Cinema: Dramatic category. It was India's only feature in competition and also the first Marathi-language film ever to premiere at the festival, which marked a major milestone for Indian cinema.

On Sabar Bonda's Indian theatrical release, Kanawade shared, "Having Spirit Media distribute Sabar Bonda in India feels incredibly meaningful." He also said that the film "reimagines one of the most intimate experiences" of his love into a story about "love, acceptance, and resilience."

He called the film a part of him, "shaped by the people and moments" that have made him who he is. "To watch it grow from an idea to finding recognition at Sundance, and now finally bringing it home, feels deeply humbling and overwhelming. Partnering with Spirit Media to release this film in India is truly special," he said.

He is overwhelmed to see that the film resonated with audiences across the world in the best way, but releasing it in India "carries a different kind of fulfilment". He believes that Sabar Bonda will "truly find its way to hearts across India."

The film has received support from the industry, with Nagraj Manjule, Vikramaditya Motwane, Nikkhil Advani, and Saie Tamhankar serving as the executive producers.

Neeraj Churi (U.K.), Mohamed Khaki (Canada), Kaushik Ray (U.K.), Naren Chandavarkar (India), Sidharth Meer (India) and Hareesh Reddypalli (India) have served as producers, with Neha Kaul and actor Jim Sarbh as co-producers and Rajesh Parwatkar as associate producer.