Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) makes history as India's sole feature film at Sundance 2025

Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears), directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, proudly stands as India’s only feature film competing at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and marks a historic milestone as the first-ever Marathi language feature to premiere at the prestigious festival. Sabar Bonda is not only India’s but the only feature film from South Asia competing in Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition this year selected from the thousands of submissions across the world that the festival receives. This tender yet powerful exploration of identity, familial expectations, and unconventional love is a landmark moment for Marathi cinema continuing the impressive rise of a new wave of Indian independent cinema on the global stage.

The film follows Anand, a city-dweller grappling with personal loss and familial pressures, as he embarks on a 10-day mourning ritual in his ancestral village. Amid the rugged beauty of western India, he finds solace and connection with Balya, a childhood friend facing similar societal expectations. Featuring a stellar cast, including Bhushaan Manoj, Suraaj Suman, and Jayshri Jagtap, the narrative delicately captures the complexities of personal relationships forged under challenging circumstances and celebrates the courage it takes to honor one’s truth.

Developed under the Venice Biennale College Cinema 2022-2023 and NFDC Marathi script camp and presented at global platforms like the Film London Production Finance Market, NFDC Marathi Script Camp, Film Bazaar Co-Production Market, Venice Gap Financing Market, and Goes to Cannes, Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) showcases the finest talents of an international collaborative effort. Produced by Neeraj Churi (UK), Mohamed Khaki (Canada), Kaushik Ray (UK), Naren Chandavarkar (India), Sidharth Meer (India), and Hareesh Reddypalli (India), with co-producer, acclaimed actor Jim Sarbh and associate producer Rajesh Parwatkar  the film is a remarkable achievement for Marathi cinema.

Speaking about the milestone, writer-director  Rohan Parashuram Kanawade shared, "Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears)" is a highly personal film. It reimagines the grief period I experienced in my ancestral village following my father's death, during which I felt enormous pressure to comply with cultural expectations, including marriage. This film transforms that moment of loss and confinement into a delicate romance that celebrates my experiences as well as my parents' love, who accepted my sexuality with grace and wisdom. Bringing this extremely personal narrative to life and receiving recognition at Sundance is a dream come true. I'm excited to share it with global audiences and commemorate Marathi cinema's historic presence at the festival."

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The Sundance Film Festival announced its selection last evening IST. While Sabar Bonda marked a milestone for Marathi Cinema, it also joins several other films from South Asia that have found significant resonance across the world this year, including Shuchi Talati’s Girls Will Be Girls [Sundance 2024] and Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light [Cannes Grand Prix Winner, 2024]

The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States of America. The festival takes place every January in Park City, Utah; and acts as a showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. Many films premiering at Sundance have gone on to achieve critical acclaim, including Call Me by Your Name, Whiplash, and Little Miss Sunshine, which were nominated for and won Academy Awards across categories such as Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor in a Leading Role.