CHENNAI: Sabar Bonda (Marathi for ‘Cactus Pears’), an internationally acclaimed Marathi film with LGBTQ+ themes, began streaming on Netflix on February 6.
Distributed by Rana Daggubati’s Spirit Media, the film was released in theatres on September 19, 2025, after making its mark on the global festival circuit earlier that year.
Directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, Sabar Bonda is a modern-day love story set in a traditional Maharashtrian village. The film follows Anand, a city dweller who returns home for the 10-day mourning period following his father’s death, during which he rekindles a tender bond with his childhood friend.
Shot in the director’s ancestral village with a cast of local actors, the semi-autobiographical film explores themes of identity, love, and acceptance through an LGBTQ+ narrative rooted in everyday realities.
The film is produced by Neeraj Churi (UK), Mohamed Khaki (Canada), Kaushik Ray (UK), Naren Chandavarkar (India), Sidharth Meer (India), and Hareesh Reddypalli (India), with co-producer and actor Jim Sarbh and associate producer Rajesh Parwatkar. It stars Bhushaan Manoj, Suraaj Suman, and Jayshri Jagtap in lead roles, with the performances earning widespread praise for their emotional depth and authenticity.
Sabar Bonda's awards win
Sabar Bonda had its world premiere in the World Cinema Competition section of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, becoming the first Marathi-language film to be showcased at the prestigious festival. It went on to win the Grand Jury Prize, marking a significant milestone for regional Indian cinema. It is also the first Indian fiction feature to win a top prize at Sundance.
The film’s awards run continued at the 2025 Inside Out Film and Video Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Narrative Features, while Bhushaan Manoj received the Best Performance award.
With its Netflix debut, Sabar Bonda is now set to reach a wider audience, bringing renewed attention to Marathi cinema and LGBTQ+ narratives from India that have resonated strongly on the global festival stage.