THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Lotus Visual Productions spearheads UK release and Q&A tour with director, Rohan Kanawade
The internationally acclaimed, queer South Asian feature, Cactus Pears (Sabar Bonda), written and directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, will open in UK and Ireland cinemas on 19 June 2026 through a theatrical release led by producers, Neeraj Churi of Lotus Visual Productions and Kaushik Ray of Taran Tantra Telefilms. The film is presented by Mira Nair. Director, Kanawade, will travel to the UK for a ten-day, national Q&A tour, kicking off on 16th June at BFI Southbank, London.
The Marathi-language drama made history at the Sundance Film Festival, becoming the first Indian fiction feature and the first Marathi-language film to win the World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize. Jury members, Ava Cahen, Wanuri Kahiu and Daniel Kaluuya said of the film, “This is the great modern love story. To say it’s an honor to award this tender film is an understatement. We cried, we laughed and we wished to be loved in the same way. It is exactly what the world needs right now. This authentic point of view opens the door to an intimate language we all understand. We feel the humming heartbeat of the main character’s inner life, and when it bursts, it wraps us with its sweetness.”
The film has since travelled widely on the international festival circuit, receiving strong critical acclaim and winning multiple further awards including the Jury Prize at the inaugural SXSW London in 2025.
Set in rural Maharashtra, Cactus Pears follows Anand, a Mumbai call-centre worker who returns to his ancestral village to observe the ten-day mourning ritual following his father’s death. While navigating the pressures of family expectations and marriage, he reconnects with Balya, a childhood friend facing similar struggles. Over the course of the mourning period, their bond deepens into a tender and intimate relationship, creating a quiet exploration of grief, identity and queer love within a traditional rural community.
Director, Rohan Kanawade, says, “Seeing Cactus Pears arrive in UK cinemas feels like a full circle moment. When my producer Neeraj and I first set out to bring this film to life, our journey began at the Film London production finance market in 2021 and now to return with a theatrical release here is incredibly meaningful. I’m super excited to share the film with UK audiences and to engage with them in person. While the story is profoundly personal, I believe its emotional core is universal and I hope it resonates on a human level with everyone who experiences it.”
Cactus Pears (Sabar Bonda) was developed through the Venice Biennale College Cinema programme and has been supported by international development platforms including the Film London Production Finance Market, NFDC Marathi Script Camp, Film Bazaar Co-Production Market and the Venice Gap Financing Market.
Presented by Mira Nair, the film is produced by Neeraj Churi, Mohamed Khaki, Kaushik Ray, Naren Chandavarkar, Sidharth Meer, and Hareesh Reddypalli, with co-producers, Jim Sarbh, Neha Kaul and Rajesh Parwatkar.
Cactus Pears releases in UK and Ireland cinemas from 19 June 2026.
