Indian Cinema Shines at TIFF

The 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) celebrates a strong showing from Indian cinema, with nearly a dozen films featured. Filmmakers Guneet Monga Kapoor and Shaunak Sen are set to premiere new works, marking significant career milestones. Monga Kapoor's production company, Sikhya Entertainment, now a studio with a majority stake from Jio Studios, presents 'Dorothy,' a Tamil-language gangster western directed by Karthik Subbaraj. This marks the first feature from Subbaraj to premiere at a major festival. Sen, following his Oscar-nominated 'All That Breathes,' debuts 'Termite,' a poetic short film and his first fiction directorial effort.

Both 'Dorothy' and 'Termite' showcase contrasting creative approaches. 'Dorothy' was produced with "phenomenal, unimaginable speed," with principal photography completed in 41 days. Conversely, Sen describes shooting 'Termite' in just five days as a novice experience in fiction filmmaking. Sen's other major project is the documentary 'The Delicate,' a personal meditation on mortality, inspired by his own battle with kidney cancer. He is also co-producing a documentary with Joaquin Phoenix.

Monga Kapoor and Subbaraj hope 'Dorothy' will campaign for the Oscars, aiming for a worldwide release on September 25th, 2026. They aspire to bridge the gap between mainstream Tamil cinema and international festival audiences, believing themes of toxic masculinity are universal. Sen, while unsure about Oscar plans for 'Termite,' is focused on testing the film with audiences and is interested in independent, high-quality cinema that explores ecological entanglement and passionate craft.