The Marathi film Sabar Bonda explores themes of love, gender, and conformity to social norms. The film will premiere at the Sundance Film Festivals 2025
A still from the Marathi film Sabar Bonda
'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.
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Sabar Bonda explores loss, social norms, and conformity
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. The cast includes 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.
Sabar Bonda's writer shares his connection with the film
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. Writer-director Rohan Parashuram Kanawade shared, 'Sabar Bonda' 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."
The Sundance Film Festival announced its selection last evening. 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]
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