‘Cactus Pears’ to Release in India with Rana Daggubati’s Spirit Media

“Cactus Pears” (Sabar Bonda), directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanwade, is returning to India after becoming the first Indian fiction film to win the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

Spirit Media, which previously distributed Cannes Grand Prix winner “All We Imagine as Light” in the region, has acquired the Indian distribution rights for the Marathi-language drama “Baahubali,” starring Rana Daggubati. Additionally, Strand Releasing has secured the film’s North American distribution.

Storyline

The film follows Anand, a city dweller dealing with personal loss and family pressures, as he participates in a 10-day mourning process in his ancestral hamlet against the backdrop of western India’s untamed nature. There, he re-connects with Balya, a buddy from childhood who also has to deal with similar social pressures. Jayshri Jagtap, Suraaj Suman, and Bhushaan Manoj are among the cast members.

As India’s sole feature in the competition and the first Marathi-language film to debut at Sundance, the movie achieved several firsts. The jury praised it, describing it as “the great modern love story” and praising its “authentic point of view,” which “opens the door to an intimate language we all understand.”

The movie has screened at more than 25 worldwide festivals since Sundance, winning accolades such as best feature film and audience choice at IFFLA, SXSW London, and San Francisco worldwide Film Festival.

“It feels really meaningful to have Spirit Media distribute ‘Sabar Bonda’ in India,” Kanawade continued. “One of the most personal moments of my life is reimagined in this movie as a tale of love, acceptance, and perseverance. The opportunity for regional, genuine, and emotionally honest Indian stories to be shown in theaters here is what most excites me about this collaboration, not simply the release itself.

The filmmaker’s parents were a homemaker and a chauffeur, and they raised him in a one-room Mumbai slum. He switched from interior design to filmmaking, and after his short films were screened all over the world, he created “Cactus Pears” for the Venice Biennale College Cinema 2022–2023.

The NFDC Marathi Script Camp, Film London Production Finance Market, Film Bazaar Co-Production Market, Venice Gap Financing Market, and Goes to Cannes were among the platforms used to create the worldwide co-production.

Producers

Neeraj Churi (United Kingdom), Mohamed Khaki (Canada), Kaushik Ray (United Kingdom), Naren Chandavarkar (India), Sidharth Meer (India), and Hareesh Reddypalli (India) are among the producers. Jim Sarbh and Neha Kaul are co-producers, while Rajesh Parwatkar is an associate producer.