Huma Qureshi Led Bayaan Selected for Toronto International Film Festival 2025
Indian films have been doing well in the International Film Festival circuit recently. After Alia Bhatt and Payal Kapadia-backed films were selected for the 2025 edition of the Asian Project Market at the Busan International Film Festival, Indian talents are now making their mark at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. Huma Qureshi-led feature has been officially selected for the prestigious Discovery section at the esteemed festival, where it will make its highly anticipated World Premiere this September. Helmed by writer-director Bikas Ranjan Mishra, best known for his acclaimed feature film Chauranga, Bayaan is the only Indian film in the Discovery section. The movie was developed at Film Independent, Los Angeles and is produced by Shiladitya Bora of Platoon One Films, India’s leading independent film studio known for multiple Filmfare award-winning Ghaath (Berlinale 2023), National Award winner Picasso (Amazon Prime’s first direct-to-digital Marathi film).
The film boasts a stellar cast that includes stalwarts like Chandrachur Singh, Sachin Khedekar, with powerhouse performers Paritosh Sand, Avijit Dutt, Vibhore Mayank, Sampa Mandal, Swati Das, Aditi Kanchan Singh and Perry Chhabra. Bayaan is a co-production of Platoon One Films with Madhu Sharma (Summit Studios), Kunal Kumar, and Anuj Gupta as producers, with Switzerland-based Sadik Keshwani (Guidant Films) as co-producer. Huma Qureshi is also attached as an Executive Producer on the film.
Filmmaker Bikas Ranjan Mishra described Bayaan as a poignant reflection of contemporary India, where “power and gender intersect in volatile and often invisible ways.” The filmmaker added, “It is my attempt to bear witness to a society in transition — and to the quiet courage of those who choose to speak.’ I’m deeply honoured to present my second feature, Bayaan, at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Discovery section — a platform that has launched the journeys of many filmmakers I admire and cherish.”
Qureshi, who has headlined several Indian and international titles, said she is thrilled that Bayaan will have its World Premiere in the Discovery section. The actor billed Bayaan as a “timely and powerful story” about a woman caught in the crossfire of “power, faith, and systemic complicity”, who must confront the system designed to silence her. “Bayaan gave me the opportunity to play the kind of character I’ve long been drawn to—someone within the justice system, yet up against forces much larger than herself. It was an absolute joy to work with a team so passionate and fearless in telling a story that feels both vital and universal,” Qureshi said in a statement.
Platoon One’s Shiladitya Bora, the indie stalwart whose past work includes Newton (India’s Official Entry to the Academy Awards 2017) as well as SIR (Cannes 2018) and Ghaath (Berlinale 2023), said the team is greatly honoured to premiere Bayaan at TIFF. “We firmly believe this is a film with global appeal, and TIFF is the perfect launchpad to start its journey around the world. As a producer, I’m always looking for that one script that can be a breakout film for everyone involved—and with ‘Bayaan’, I knew we had something powerful. At Platoon One Films, our ethos is to champion newer voices and newer stories that provoke, connect, and challenge. This film truly embodies that spirit,” the producer said.
Bayaan boasts an impressive team, with cinematography by Udit Khurana (A Hunt for Veerappan), editing by the acclaimed A Sreekar Prasad (RRR), music composed by Ajay Jayanthi (Black Warrant), and costumes designed by Shilpi Agarwal (Prasanna Vithanage’s Paradise, Indian Predator: Murder in a Courtroom). The film is supported by the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s Hubert Bals Fund and was developed at LA Residency, a part of the Global Media Makers (GMM) program of Film Independent, Los Angeles. During the residency, Bikas Ranjan Mishra was mentored by Craig Mazin (creator of HBO’s ‘Chernobyl’, ‘The Last of Us’) and received advice on the script from writer Jeff Stockwell and story editor Ruth Atkinson.
Also Read: “Working With My Dear Friend Rajkummar Rao Is Always an Incredible Experience” – Huma Qureshi
