Sundance Winner ‘Cactus Pears’ Sets U.Ok., Ireland Theatrical Release

“Cactus Pears” (Sabar Bonda), the Marathi-language drama that made historical past at Sundance as the first Indian fiction feature to win the World Cinema Dramatic grand jury prize, will open in U.Ok. and Ireland cinemas on June 19, in a release led by producers Neeraj Churi of Lotus Visual Productions and Kaushik Ray of Taran Tantra Telefilms. The movie is offered by Mira Nair.

Written and directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, the movie facilities on a younger man from Mumbai who travels again to his household’s village in rural Maharashtra after his father dies, certain by custom to watch a 10-day mourning interval. Amid strain from kin about marriage and his future, he grows shut again to a good friend from childhood, and the two males discover their approach towards an intimate connection.

The movie has screened at more than 85 festivals across some 40 international locations since its Sundance breakthrough, selecting up the jury prize at the inaugural SXSW London in 2025. It has already performed theatrically in India, the U.S., Spain, Austria, Switzerland and Germany.

Reviewing the movie for Variety, Siddhant Adlakha wrote: “A rural gay story that begins in a state of mourning and melancholy, it eventually takes on radiant form, with emotional complexities born out of characters walking around the truth, if only because euphemisms are the only language they have.”

To help the U.Ok. rollout, Kanawade will embark on a 10-day national Q&A tour starting June 16 at BFI Southbank in London. Theatrical bookings and advertising outreach shall be dealt with by Tejinder Jouhal and Krushil Patel, while Tony Gill’s range PR and advertising company Media House Global will lead the publicity campaign, with producer and publicist Dheeraj Agnihotri in an advisory position.

“Seeing ‘Cactus Pears’ arrive in U.K. cinemas feels like a full circle moment,” Kanawade said. “When my producer Neeraj and I first set out to bring this film to life, our journey began at the Film London production finance market in 2021, now to return with a theatrical release here is incredibly meaningful. I’m super excited to share the film with U.K. audiences and to engage with them in person. While the story is profoundly personal, I believe its emotional core is universal and I hope it resonates on a human level with everyone who experiences it.”

Churi and Ray said in a joint assertion: “We are deeply proud to bring ‘Cactus Pears’ to U.K. cinemas, after successful runs in India and the U.S. Its release here continues its journey of amplifying queer South Asian stories globally with honesty and tenderness. At a time when authentic representation is more vital than ever, ‘Cactus Pears’ stands as a testament to voices that have too often been pushed to the margins – voices we are committed to championing.”

Gill, who labored on the movie’s publicity at SXSW London, said: “‘Cactus Pears’ is a truly unique film that carves its own space and identity in contemporary queer cinema, while simultaneously universal in its themes and messages. The film has already garnered a lot of love and we’re excited about further galvanizing this plaudit as this really special film comes to U.K. cinemas.”

“It’s a rare treat when audiences leave a film filled with warmth and hope for the possibility of a better future,” Jouhal added. “‘Cactus Pears’ delivers exactly that. ‘Cactus Pears’ is a truly unique love story that quietly defies convention and represents a progressive microcosm of Indian family life that will resonate deeply with cineastes, South Asian and queer cinema goers.”

“Cactus Pears” was developed by way of the Venice Biennale College Cinema program and obtained help from the NFDC Marathi Script Camp, the Film Bazaar Co-Production Market and the Venice Gap Financing Market. The movie is produced by Churi, Mohamed Khaki, Ray, Naren Chandavarkar, Sidharth Meer and Hareesh Reddypalli, with co-producers Jim Sarbh, Neha Kaul and Rajesh Parwatkar.