‘In Search Of The Sky’ to premiere at Toronto International Film Festival 2025 – Firstpost

Director Jitank Singh Gurjar’s debut Braj language feature “In Search Of The Sky” is the only Indian film among 55 global titles to be selected at the Toronto International Film Festival’s centrepiece programme.

Some notable movies in the category include Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon”, Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s “A Useful Ghost” and Shih-Ching Tsou’s “Left-Handed Girl”.

Gurjar, who was first noticed with his acclaimed short “Basaan”, said his new film is an attempt to explore how the mentally challenged are perceived and how they live perpetually on the brink of societal dejection.

In a dramatic turn that has sparked chatter in the festival circuit, Anurag Kashyap has ditched his favorite Cannes choosing instead to premiere his next Film Bandar featuring Bobby Deol, Sanya Malhotra and others at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Apparently the Festival Managers at Toronto were keen that Kashyap’s Film premiers coinciding with their 50th Anniversary. The film, boasts a stellar cast led by Bobby Deol, alongside Sanya Malhotra, Saba Azad, and Sapna Pabbi and is Produced by Nikhil Dwivedi.

The unexpected switch has many calling it the latest chapter in the ongoing “Festival Wars”, a rising trend where global festivals compete to bag premiere rights for highly potential films. While Cannes has long been considered the pinnacle of auteur-driven cinema, TIFF’s growing global influence and audience reach have made it an increasingly strategic choice for filmmakers seeking both acclaim and visibility.

This shift also marks a significant moment for Bobby Deol, whose career renaissance continues to surprise audiences and critics alike. Fresh off the success of “Animal”, Bobby is said to be in an entirely new avatar in this film, raw, dark, and unlike anything he’s done before.

With added inputs from agencies