 "Indian films like Huma Qureshi's 'Bayaan' and 'Vimukt' shine at Toronto International Film Festival 2025")
Two Indian films with deeply rooted stories and powerful voices made a mark at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, receiving heartfelt appreciation from global audiences and critics alike.
Bayaan , directed by Bikas Ranjan Mishra and starring Huma Qureshi, had its world premiere in the festival’s prestigious Discovery Section. The film produced by Platoon One Films, Madhu Sharma (Summit Studios), Kunal Kumar and Anuj Gupta with Switzerland-based Sadik Keshwani (Guidant Films) as co-producer, explores the complexities of personal trauma and societal silence.
Meanwhile, Vimukt (In Search of the Sky), directed by Jitank Singh Gurjar and co-produced by Madhu Sharma with producer Pooja Vishal Sharma, premiered in TIFF’s Centrepiece Section. Set against the spiritual and rural backdrops of Madhya Pradesh and the Maha Kumbh Mela, Vimukt follows a poor couple struggling to care for their mentally challenged adult son. The film’s emotional depth, raw performances by Nikhil Yadav, Raghvendra Bhadoriya, and Meghna Agarwal, struck a universal chord.
Both films have content that will deeply resonate with people all across the globe.” shared Madhu Sharma.
“Getting associated with these films meant trusting the filmmaker and the team’s vision and holding space for narratives that often get overlooked. The response at TIFF has been humbling. It reaffirms the importance of telling stories rooted in truth, silence, and hope.” Madhu added.
Huma Qureshi , who has previously represented Indian talent globally with acclaimed projects like Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead and Gurinder Chadha’s Viceroy’s House (Partition: 1947), is back in the international spotlight with Bayaan. Directed by Bikas Ranjan Mishra, the film is the only Indian selection in the Discovery section at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2025, where it will have its world premiere. After TIFF, the film will also travel to the Busan International Film Festival, marking a significant moment for independent Indian storytelling.