Richie Mehta’s ‘Phoolan’ Gets Standing Ovation At TIFF 2026 World Premiere

Richie Mehta’s ‘Phoolan’ had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2026 on Wednesday evening. The Amazon original, based on the life of bandit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi, received an enthusiastic response at the prestigious festival, with a packed audience giving the film a standing ovation.

‘Phoolan’ Receives Standing Ovation

Written and directed by Richie Mehta, ‘Phoolan’ was screened in TIFF’s prestigious Special Presentation section. The screening took place at Toronto’s iconic Princess of Wales Theatre, where more than 2,000 people watched the film.

The audience gave the film a standing ovation following the screening. Sneha Kumari, who plays the titular role, led the film’s delegation at TIFF and joined the celebrations following the screening.

Cast members Anurag Thakur, Aakash Dahiya and Vikram Pratap Singh were also present at the festival. They were joined on the red carpet by writer-director-producer Richie Mehta and producers Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kanwal Kohli and Kishor Arora of Namah Pictures.

Shilangi Mukherji, Director and Head of SVOD Business at Prime Video India, represented Amazon MGM Studios India at the event.

Richie Mehta On Bringing Phoolan Devi’s Story To Screen

Speaking about the world premiere, Richie Mehta said Phoolan Devi’s story needed to be told with honesty and without compromise.

The filmmaker said he wanted to explore a specific chapter of her life, focusing on her formative years before she became widely known, while also examining the period in which she became a misunderstood legend.

Mehta said his intention was to move beyond the mythology surrounding Phoolan Devi and bring out the person behind the legend. He highlighted themes such as resilience in the face of adversity, the search for dignity and the courage to claim one’s own voice.

Reacting to the standing ovation at TIFF, Mehta said seeing the audience visibly moved by the film showed that Phoolan Devi’s story had connected with viewers in the way the team had hoped.

What Is ‘Phoolan’ About?

Based on Phoolan Devi’s autobiography, ‘I, Phoolan Devi: The Autobiography of India’s Bandit Queen’, the film focuses on a defining chapter from her life.

The Hindi action drama centres on a brutal 48-hour siege, during which Phoolan Devi faces an armed group of around 2,000 men.

The film has been produced by Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kishor Arora, Kanwal Kohli and Richie Mehta and is a Namah Pictures production.

Following its world premiere at TIFF, ‘Phoolan’ will stream on Prime Video. The release date has not yet been announced.

Phoolan Devi’s Story Has Been Told Before

Popularly known as the Bandit Queen, Phoolan Devi remained a prominent figure in Indian popular culture during the 1980s and 1990s. Her journey from a bandit to a Member of Parliament was previously portrayed by filmmaker Shekhar Kapur in the controversial 1994 film ‘Bandit Queen’.

The film starred Seema Biswas as Phoolan Devi, alongside Nirmal Pandey, Aditya Srivastava, Gajraj Rao, Saurabh Shukla, Manoj Bajpayee and Raghuvir Yadav.

‘Bandit Queen’ won three National Film Awards, including Best Actress for Seema Biswas and Best Hindi Feature Film.

However, its release was surrounded by controversy. Phoolan Devi opposed the film and reportedly threatened to set herself on fire if it was released.

With ‘Phoolan’, Richie Mehta now brings another chapter of Phoolan Devi’s life to the screen, offering a fresh cinematic interpretation of her story.