Kanu Behl’s Critically Acclaimed Agra Set for Theatrical Release on Nov 14

BY SHANTISWAROOP TRIPATHI

Two years after its world premiere at the “Directors’ Fortnight” section of the Cannes Film Festival 2023, where it left a mark on global audiences, Kanu Behl’s Hindi feature film Agra is now set to release in cinemas on November 14, 2025.

Agra Kanu Behl wins global awards after Cannes

Produced by Saregama India Limited, UFO Production, and O28 Films, the Indo-French co-production Agra is Behl’s second feature film to have premiered at Cannes. Since then, the film has stayed in the spotlight, winning the Special Jury Prize at the 2023 MAMI Festival, Best Indie Film and Best Actor awards at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023, and Best Film and Best Actor at the 2024 New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF).

Jointly written by Kanu Behl and Atika Chohan, Agra delves into sexual dynamics within a family and the rapidly shrinking, dystopian fragmentations of modern India.

Agra film story: Guru’s unconventional love and life

The story revolves around Guru, a 25-year-old sexually repressed young man living in a cramped house in Agra. He shares a room with his mother, while his father lives upstairs with his mistress. In the already confined house, the rooftop is the only available space. Guru insists that he is in love with an imaginary woman named Mala, plans to marry her, and dreams of building a room for her on the rooftop—just like his father lives with his mistress upstairs.

Agra becomes a story of a young Indian man’s sexual awakening. He romances an imaginary girl, engages in online sex chats with a stranger, eventually lies in bed with a 40-year-old disabled woman whom he claims to “love,” and finally experiences sexual intercourse for the first time. While other family members fight over the rooftop for material benefit, Guru wrestles with his own sexuality.

The film stars debutant Mohit Agarwal in the lead role alongside Rahul Roy of Aashiqui fame, Priyanka Bose from the Oscar-nominated Lion, South Indian star Ruhani Sharma (Chi La Sow, HIT: The First Case), veteran actors Vibha Chibber, Sonal Jha, and Anchal Goswami.

Developed at the PJLF Three Rivers Residency in Italy and supported by the prestigious Cinemas du Monde film fund, Agra was also part of NFDC’s Film Bazaar 2022 Viewing Room (FBR section).

Kanu Behl is a filmmaker who needs little introduction. Known for thought-provoking cinema, Behl began his career experimenting with radio, copywriting, and acting before graduating in film direction from the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata. He then turned to documentary filmmaking. His debut documentary An Actor Prepares (2006) premiered in competition at Cinema du Réel, France. Later, in 2007, he directed and produced the short doc Three Blind Men for ZDF/ARTE, commissioned at the Berlin Film Festival. In 2008, his documentaries Found Him Yet? and Over Thresholds were commissioned by NHK, Japan. A Berlinale Talent Campus alumnus and two-time nominee for the Berlin Today Award, Behl transitioned to fiction in 2010, co-writing LSD: Love, Sex aur Dhokha with Dibakar Banerjee.

His debut feature Titli premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes 2014, winning the NETPAC Award and eight major international prizes including Best First Foreign Film by the French Syndicate of Cinema Critics in 2015. His next short Binnu ka Sapna premiered at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and won the prestigious Student Jury Prize.

Currently, Behl is in post-production on his third feature Dispatch, starring Manoj Bajpayee and produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP.
As a filmmaker, Behl’s career is distinctly shaped by his early documentary roots, which continue to influence the themes and styles of his fictional works—often blurring lines with creative nonfiction.

A decade after directing his acclaimed debut Titli, Behl is now excited to bring his second feature to Indian cinemas. Speaking about the release of Agra, he says: “Agra has perhaps been the most difficult journey of my life. It has taken almost a decade for the film to finally reach its ultimate audience—Indian viewers. My hope is that it speaks loud and clear, and sparks conversations about our sexuality, our environment, and everything hidden within it. I have never been this excited to share a part of my work before.”

Siddharth Anand Kumar, Executive Vice President, Films & Events, Saregama India Limited, adds: “Films like Agra often earn recognition internationally but rarely find a release in India. At Saregama, we wanted to ensure that Indian audiences too could experience such powerful cinema. Agra is not an easy film—it is raw, bold, and unapologetic. Kanu holds up a mirror that forces us to confront realities we often ignore. We’ve always believed in supporting stories that challenge stereotypes, and we are proud to bring this remarkable film to Indian theatres. It’s a film that lingers in your mind long after you’ve left the cinema hall.”

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