Karthik Subbaraj’s Dorothy gets standing ovation at TIFF

CHENNAI: Karthik Subbaraj’s upcoming Tamil film Dorothy, starring Keerthy Suresh, Sananth and Rishikanth, received a standing ovation following its world premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film was screened in the Centrepiece section of the festival.

The premiere took place at Toronto’s Scotiabank Theatre, with Subbaraj joined by Keerthy, Sananth and Rishikanth, as well as producers Guneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain. Dorothy marks Subbaraj’s 10th directorial venture and is the first Tamil feature to premiere at TIFF in a decade.

Producer Guneet Monga Kapoor has reflected on the world premiere of Karthik Subbaraj’s Dorothy at the Toronto International Film Festival, calling the film’s standing ovation a “deeply special” moment.

Taking to Instagram, Guneet shared pictures from the TIFF premiere and wrote, “Seeing Dorothy premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and receive a standing ovation was a deeply special moment for all of us.”

She thanked Karthik Subbaraj for trusting the team with what she described as a “beautiful, deeply human story”, while also expressing gratitude to the cast and crew and Jio Studios and Dhammam Films for being part of the journey.

“Most of all, grateful that Dorothy has found its first audience in Toronto with so much warmth and love,” she added.

The film also marks the first collaboration between Karthik Subbaraj and legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja. Subbaraj said having Ilaiyaraaja’s music accompany the film’s journey to TIFF made the occasion particularly special.

The Dorothy team had earlier presented the film’s 18-track soundtrack as a live musical experience in Chennai, with musicians performing the score continuously for around 40 minutes.

Produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Guneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain, Dorothy is backed by Jio Studios, Sikhya Entertainment and Dhammam Films. The film is scheduled to release worldwide on September 25.