Actor and producer Rana Daggubati, best known for his role in the Baahubali films, is now taking a significant step toward supporting independent cinema in India. Through his distribution company Spirit Media, Rana is backing Sabar Bonda, an acclaimed Marathi film directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. The film is set for a nationwide theatrical release on September 19. “I was blown away by the film” Rana says in an interview, ahead of the release, Rana reflected on his decision to distribute Sabar Bonda. “Pratiksha Rao [a partner at Spirit Media] saw the film first, almost a year ago, and immediately said, ‘This is our next film to distribute.’ I said, ‘Okay, cool!’” he laughed. “When I finally watched it, I was blown away as well—especially by the honesty of the film. It felt heartwarming and genuine.”
With Sabar Bonda, Rana Daggubati champions theatrical releases for independent films in India: “I was blown away by the honesty of this film”
While Rana is well-established in Telugu cinema, this move is part of a broader plan to create a nationwide platform for independent and alternative films. Last year, Spirit Media distributed All We Imagine as Light, Payal Kapadia’s Cannes-winning debut, which earned the Grand Prix at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. “We started Spirit Media to bring in a different voice,” Rana explained. “Not everything has to fit into the mainstream or regional mould. In Telugu, we’ve built a mature system for film releases—but All We Imagine as Light pushed us beyond that comfort zone.” Creating space for indie cinema in India Rana believes there’s a growing audience in India for independent films, but the infrastructure to support consistent releases is still evolving. “A film like All We Imagine as Light showed us that there’s a nationwide audience for such cinema. It’s just that they don’t get these films regularly enough to build a habit. If audiences knew that every month, they could watch something unique in theatres, it would start to shift the pattern.”
He hopes Sabar Bonda will continue this trend. While the core audience is expected to be in Maharashtra, he’s confident the film will resonate across cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru. “We need to find the roadmap” Rana also touched on the need for a different promotional strategy for independent films. “Mainstream films have a fixed format—event launches, press meets, song drops. But for indie films, we have to discover a new roadmap. Every film will tell us something different.” “Sabar Bonda and Rohan’s vision fit perfectly into the kind of creator-led, alternative cinema we want to support,” he added. He stressed that the key is to remove the regional lens and find ways to take these stories to a national audience. “Every film is a new story” When asked if this new role as distributor comes with its own set of challenges, Rana admitted there’s always a sense of uncertainty. “Just being in a film is scary, right?” he laughed. “You’re always starting over. Every story is a new story. It doesn’t matter what success you’ve had in the past—what matters is whether this new film connects with people.”
Still, he finds that fear to be a motivating force. “The very thing that scares us also drives us. And honestly, it’s less scary than it should be—because there’s no predecessor to what we’re doing. This is a first-of-its-kind space, and hopefully, it’ll open up more avenues for people to watch these films in theatres.” Sabar Bonda hits theatres across India on September 19, with Rana Daggubati and Spirit Media hoping to bring independent Indian cinema to the spotlight it deserves.
BOLLYWOOD NEWS – LIVE UPDATES
Catch us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2025 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.