Ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival , the team behind “ Bayaan ” is revealing how real-world events inspired the Indian police procedural and their ambitious plans to build a global platform for independent Indian cinema.

Director Bikas Ranjan Mishra tells Variety that the film, which premieres in Toronto’s Discovery section, was sparked by his coverage of a notorious cult leader’s trial. “I was following the trial of a notorious cult leader when his conviction triggered violent protests from his followers,” Mishra explains. “What unsettled me most was the sight of women defending a convicted rapist – it felt incomprehensible.”

The filmmaker, whose debut “Chauranga” won international festival acclaim, says the experience led him to examine the broader systems t

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