India @ Toronto – TIFF Regulars

By Pickle September 1, 2025

Numerous Indian filmmakers have had multiple films in the TIFF selection:

Mani Ratnam (4 films): A master craftsman and storyteller who put Tamil films on the world map

Thiruda Thiruda (1994); Bombay (1995); Iruvar (1997); Kannathil Muthamittal (2002)

Shekhar Kapur (4 films): The globally feted Indian filmmaker began his TIFF journey in the mid-1990s with the hard-hitting Bandit Queen and followed it up with three international productions.

Bandit Queen (1994, as part of a section named ‘India Now’); Elizabeth (1998); The Four Feathers (2002); What’s Love Got to Do With It? (2022)

Santosh Sivan (4 films): The celebrated Indian cinematographer, too, has had a quartet of appearances at TIFF.

The Terrorist (Tamil, 1998); Malli (Tamil, 1999); Asoka (Hindi, 2001); Before the Rains (English/Malayalam, 2007)

Dev Benegal (3 films): Among a crop of Indian filmmakers who burst on the scene in the mid-1990s, Dev Benegal found ready takers in TIFF

English, August (1994); Split Wide Open (1999); Road, Movie (2009)

Pan Nalin (3 films): The Indian director who has lived and worked in different parts of the world is a three-time TIFF participant

Samsara (2001); Faith Connections (2013); Angry Indian Goddesses (2015)

Hansal Mehta (3 films): First City to City, then Special Presentations and now Primetime, the veteran Mumbai filmmaker, no stranger to TIFF, has been on the move

Shahid (2012); Omerta (2017); Gandhi (2025) – the first Indian series in Primetime, section launched ten years ago

Richie Mehta (3 films): The Mississauga-born Canadian director of Indian descent cut his teeth at his home festival with three films shot in India

Amal (2007 – Canada First!); Siddharth (2013); India in a Day (2016, Next Waves – Documentaries)

Vasan Bala (2 films): His debut film reached TIFF via Cannes Critics Week before Vasan Bala became the first-ever Indian director to break into Midnight Madness

Peddlers (2012); Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (The Man Who Feels No Pain, 2018)