Projects of 3 Indo-Canadians filmmakers to have world premiere at Toronto festival

Three Indo-Canadian filmmakers are set to showcase their latest projects at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The Surgeon, directed by Roshan Sethi, Phoolan directed by Richie Mehta, and Strong Son directed by Ian Bawa, will mark the Indo-Canadian community's most significant presence at this celebrated North American film event.

Sethi, a Calgary native and practicing oncologist, follows his 2025 gay romantic comedy A Nice Indian Boy with The Surgeon, starring Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh. TIFF's programming director Robyn Citizen emphasized that Sethi incorporated his unique background as a physician to create a pulse-pounding ride that pays homage to various genres, from kidnapping thrillers to surgical dramas to home invasions.

Citizen also noted that the film signals the return of the classic 2000s action blockbuster, showcasing breathless fight scenes and well-developed character histories.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Ian Bawa will present Strong Son, his full-length feature debut. Inspired by his ongoing 'Sad Dad' trilogy of short films, Strong Son explores masculinity, family, caregiving, and the emotional distance that can exist between fathers and sons, particularly within working-class immigrant families. Bawa described the film as a perceptive and affecting exploration of these themes in Sikh family dynamics.

Phoolan, the latest project from Richie Mehta, is an Indian biopic of the bandit queen. Mehta, from the Greater Toronto Area and a former University of Toronto volunteer, brings his restrained and realistic true-crime sensibilities to this project. Citizen highlighted that Mehta's film is heavily inspired by Phoolan Devi's 1986 autobiography, depicting her riveting tale as unflinchingly challenging the suffocating patriarchy and commanding respect from those around her, despite her age. The film, like Strong Son, is the only Canadian production among the three.