Richie Mehta's new feature, Phoolan, will premiere at Toronto International Film Festival 2026.
A Prime Video original film, Phoolan spans a 48-hour siege in Devi's life.
Phoolan will play at TIFF as part of the buzzy Special Presentations lineup.
Richie Mehta, best known for creating the International Emmy-winning Netflix show, Delhi Crime, will premiere his new film, Phoolan, at the Toronto International Film Festival 2026. The Amazon Prime Video original film has been selected in the Special Presentations section. This category includes buzzy new titles from filmmakers like Andrew Haigh, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Pedro Almodovar, Takashi Miike, Cristian Mungiu, Danny Boyle, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Mike Leigh among others.
Phoolan will focus on a dramatic episode from Devi’s life, centring on a 48-hour siege in which she is surrounded by thousands of armed men in the Chambal region. According to the official synopsis provided by Prime Video, the narrative unravels as Devi fights to survive the confrontation, a moment that will change her life and trajectory forever.
Phoolan witnesses Mehta's return to TIFF a decade after his celebrated documentary, India In A Day, screened at the festival back in 2016.
Backed by Namah Pictures, the film is produced by Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kishor Arora, Kanwal Kohli, along with Richie Mehta. The project is based on the rights to Phoolan Devi's autobiography and has been in development for several years. At the Prime Video Presents: India launch of their new 2026 slate held in March, Prime Video announced the film.
Interestingly, Mehta revealed that he was initially unsure about taking up the film. Recalling the early days of the project, he said the idea first came to him after Delhi Crime, when the producers approached him with the story.
“They had acquired the rights for the autobiography of Phoolan Devi. They said to me, ‘We think you're the right person to tell this story.' I said, ‘I think you're wrong',” Mehta shared. He said the team kept returning to him, persistent he was the right fit. Eventually their constant persuasion made him dive into the project despite his apprehensions.
“We went back and forth for five years about this, and they persisted and said it's you,” Mehta added.
The 51st edition of TIFF will run Sept. 10-20 in Downtown Toronto.
