SUNDANCE GRAND JURY PRIZE WINNER “CACTUS PEARS” SET FOR UK/IRELAND THEATRICAL

The internationally acclaimed queer South Asian feature “Cactus Pears” (“Sabar Bonda”), written and directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, is set to arrive in UK and Ireland cinemas from 19th June 2026.

Presented by Mira Nair and led by producers Neeraj Churi (Lotus Visual Productions) and Kaushik Ray (Taran Tantra Telefilms), the film will be accompanied by a special ten-day national Q&A tour with director Kanawade. The tour launches on 16th June at BFI Southbank, London, offering audiences an opportunity to engage directly with the filmmaker behind one of the most talked-about films on the global festival circuit.

A landmark achievement in Indian cinema, Cactus Pears made history at the Sundance Film Festival, becoming the first Indian fiction feature and the first Marathi-language film to win the prestigious World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize. Praised by jurors Ava Cahen, Wanuri Kahiu and Daniel Kaluuya as “the great modern love story,” the film has been widely celebrated for its emotional depth and universal resonance.

Since its Sundance debut, the film has travelled extensively across international festivals, earning critical acclaim and multiple accolades, including the Jury Prize at the inaugural SXSW London in 2025.

Set against the backdrop of rural Maharashtra, the story follows Anand, a Mumbai call-centre worker who returns to his ancestral village to observe a ten-day mourning ritual after his father’s death. As he navigates the expectations of family and tradition, Anand reconnects with his childhood friend Balya. Over the course of the mourning period, their bond evolves into a tender and intimate relationship, offering a quiet yet powerful exploration of grief, identity and queer love within a deeply traditional setting.

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