Mumbai, September 17, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Filmmaker Richie Mehta has said his biopic “Phoolan” was conceived to move beyond the mythology surrounding Phoolan Devi and reveal the human being behind the legend.
The action drama, which received a standing ovation following its world premiere at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, focuses on a turbulent 48-hour period in the life of Phoolan Devi.
Mehta described Phoolan Devi as a “misunderstood legend” and said he was particularly drawn to the formative years of her life, before she became widely known.
“Phoolan Devi’s story is one that demands to be told with honesty, and without compromise. I was drawn to a very specific chapter of Phoolan’s life, the formative years before the world knew her name, contrasted with the period where she was a misunderstood legend,” Mehta, who serves as the film’s writer, director and producer, said.
“It felt essential to me to strip away the mythology and reveal the human underneath,” he added.
Mehta said the themes at the heart of Phoolan Devi’s story — resilience in the face of adversity, the search for dignity and the courage to claim one’s own voice — continue to resonate across cultures and generations.
“These themes at the heart of her story, resilience in the face of adversity, the search for dignity, and the courage to claim one’s own voice, are timeless,” he said.
He added that the story’s continued relevance was one of the reasons he felt the time was right to bring it to the screen.
The filmmaker also credited Amazon MGM Studios for supporting his creative vision, following their collaboration on “Poacher”, and said the audience response at TIFF indicated that the story had connected with viewers.
“To witness the audience at TIFF rise to their feet, visibly moved, tells me that Phoolan’s story has connected in exactly the way we hoped it would. I hope I have done justice to her voice and her story, the way she wanted the world to know,” Mehta said.
“Phoolan” is based on Phoolan Devi’s autobiography, “I, Phoolan Devi: The Autobiography of India’s Bandit Queen”, published by Editions Robert Laffont.
The film presents a visceral account of a young woman who challenges the conventions imposed upon her and seeks to shape her own destiny in a world determined to deny her one.
The film’s TIFF world premiere was attended by Sneha Kumari, who plays Phoolan Devi, along with cast members Anurag Thakur, Aakash Dahiya and Vikram Pratap Singh. They were joined by Mehta and producers Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kanwal Kohli and Kishor Arora of Namah Pictures, as well as Shilangi Mukherji, Director and Head of SVOD Business, Prime Video, India, representing Amazon MGM Studios, India.
Produced by Shareen Mantri Kedia, Kishor Arora, Kanwal Kohli and Richie Mehta, “Phoolan” is a Namah Pictures production.
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