Bollywood film Bandar to be screened at Toronto International Film Festival

Bollywood film Bandar will be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) as part of the Special Presentations section of the event.

TIFF 2025, which runs from Sep. 4 to 14, will host the film before it hits theatres later this year.

Bandar (or to use its English title Monkey in a Cage), features the return of veteran Indian actor Bobby Deol to the silver screen. Directed by Anurag Kashyap, whose works include the critically acclaimed Gangs of Wasseypur, as well as India’s first Netflix Original series Sacred Games, the film also stars Sanya Malhotra and Durgesh Kumar.

A scion of Bollywood royalty

Veteran actor Bobby Deol is a member of the famous Deol family, which includes elder brother Sunny Deol, as well as film legend Dharmendra.

After appearing as a child artist in Dharam Veer (1977), Deol had his first lead role in the romance Barsaat (1995), which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He subsequently appeared in the commercially successful action thriller films Gupt (1997), Soldier (1998), Badal (2000), Bichhoo (2000), Ajnabee (2001), and Humraaz (2002).

After a career hiatus, Deol returned to acting with the streaming projects Class of ’83, Aashram, and Love Hostel, before playing a villain in the top-grossing film Animal (2023).

A leading international event

Founded in 1976, TIFF has grown from the “Festival of Festivals” to a premier international film event, recognized as a reliable Oscar launchpad for films like La La Land, 12 Years a Slave, and Nomadland.

Held every early September in Toronto, the 2024 edition drew approximately 700,000 attendees, over 700 film talent, and screened around 280 selected films. Its year‑round hub TIFF Lightbox offers screenings, a film reference library, discussions, and educational programs.

This year’s set of special presentation includes screenings by a host of renowned creatives, including California Schemin’ by James McAvoy, Couture starring Angelina Jolie, Frankenstein by Guillermo Del Toro, and The Christophers by Steven Soderbergh.