Huma Qureshi's 'Bayaan' set for world premiere at TIFF 2025

At the Toronto International Film Festival 2025, the spotlight is going to be on India's finest. 'Bayaan', the taut police procedural thriller headlined by acclaimed star Huma Qureshi, 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' 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).

Bayaan is a co-production of Platoon One Films with Madhu Sharma (Summit Studios), Kunal Kumar, 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.

The film boasts of 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.

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 which has launched the careers of filmmaking giants like Christopher Nolan, Alfonso Cuarón and Barry Jenkins among others.

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 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 (Netflix's 'A Hunt for Veerappan'), editing by the acclaimed A Sreekar Prasad (RRR), music composed by Ajay Jayanthi (Netflix's 'Black Warrant'), and costumes designed by Shilpi Agarwal (Prasanna Vithanage’s Paradise', Netflix's '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 course of 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. suggest headline options on basis of Huma Qureshi social media post