Mumbai, Feb 1 Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, the director of the Marathi film ‘Sabar Bonda’ (Cactus Pears), has reacted to the film becoming the first Marathi film to bag the prestigious World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic at the Sundance Film Festival.
The film marked the only Indian and South Asian feature in competition this year, and is a deeply moving tale of love, loss, and self-discovery. It is set against the breathtaking landscapes of western India, the film follows Anand, man grappling with personal grief and societal expectations, as he returns to his ancestral village for a mourning ritual.
There, he reconnects with Balya, a childhood friend facing similar struggles, setting off a journey that is tender, emotional, and quietly revolutionary.
Rohan shared, “Winning Sundance is every independent filmmaker’s dream, and for Sabar Bonda to be recognized in such monumental way is beyond words. This film is personal, it’s universal, and this award proves th authentic, heartfelt stories will always find their audience—no matter where they come from. This is victory for Marathi cinema, Indian cinema, and for every filmmaker dreaming of telling their story”.
The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic recognizes outstanding international films that push the boundaries of storytelling a filmmaking.
The Sundance jury, comprising of Ava Cahen, Daniel Kaluuya and Wanuri Kahiu while presenting the award said, “This is the great modern love story. To say it's an honor to award this tender film an understatement. We cried, we laughed, and we wished to be loved in the same way. It is exactly what the world needs right now. This authentic point of view opens the door to an intimate language we all understand. We feel the humming heartbeat of the main character's inner life, and when it bursts, it wraps us with its sweetness. We award the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic to ‘Sabar Bonda’ (Cactus Pears)”.
Producer Neeraj Churi added, “We are honoured to be the fir Indian fiction film to win the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. recognition is a testament to Rohan’s vision, and the talented team that came together to achieve it. Sabar Bonda is a story rooted in Maharashtra, but the themes of grief and love are universal. We cannot wait to bring the film home to India, and to share it with the rest of the world”.
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