Starring Keerthy Suresh, Sananth and Rishikanth, Karthik Subbaraj’s Dorothy had its world premiere at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival on September 12. The film premiered in the Centrepiece section, marking the first Tamil feature to premiere at TIFF in the past decade, and received a standing ovation.
The premiere took place at Toronto’s Scotiabank Theatre, with Subbaraj joined by Keerthy, Sananth and Rishikanth, as well as producers Guneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain.
Set in rural Tamil Nadu in the early 1990s, ‘Dorothy’ explores friendship, prejudice and violence. Dorothy follows Karthi and Subbu, two boys growing up in an unforgiving environment. The story takes a dramatic turn when a misfortune befalls Dorothy (Keerthy Suresh), a member of the household who has always treated the two childhood friends with gentleness.
According to the synopsis by TIFF, the incident shifts the boys’ journey from one of survival into a “harsh, scorched-earth reality shaped by rigid patriarchal hierarchies and everyday violence.” For Subbaraj, the story is rooted in a world he knows personally while dealing with themes that extend beyond its setting.
“Dorothy is a story that comes from a place and culture I know intimately, but its questions around friendship, prejudice and human connection are universal,” Subbaraj said in a statement. “To have its world premiere at TIFF is incredibly special. It gives the film an opportunity to reach audiences across the world while staying true to the story I wanted to tell. And to have Ilaiyaraaja sir’s music accompany that journey makes it even more special.”
The film marks Subbaraj’s next after Retro, which starred Suriya, Pooja Hegde and Joju George and was released in May 2025.
Ilaiyaraaja has composed the original score and songs for Dorothy. The film’s 18-track soundtrack was recently presented as a live musical experience in Chennai, with musicians performing the score continuously for around 40 minutes.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter India
