Bandar OTT Release Date: Bobby Deol’s Anurag Kashyap Crime Thriller Set for Digital Premiere

Bobby Deol is back — raw, unfiltered, and in the performance of a lifetime. Bandar, the Anurag Kashyap-directed crime thriller that first turned heads at the Toronto International Film Festival, is currently running in theaters and will soon make its way to OTT. Here’s everything you need to know about the Bandar OTT release date, streaming platform, cast, box office collection, critical reception, and more.

Bandar OTT Release Date — When and Where to Watch

The film was theatrically released on 5 June 2026 to positive reviews from critics. The film is produced by Nikhil Dwivedi, Gaurie Pandit, and Shivie Pandit under Saffron Magicworks, in collaboration with Zee Studios. Given Zee Studios’ involvement in production, the film’s digital streaming rights are expected to land on Zee5. While an official OTT release date has not been confirmed yet, Bollywood films typically arrive on streaming platforms 4–8 weeks after their theatrical release. Based on its June 5 release, fans can expect Bandar on OTT around mid-July to early August 2026.

OTT Release Details at a Glance

What Is Bandar About?

Samar Mehra is a not-so-young TV star whose fame is fading. He is a profoundly flawed man who is out of touch with changing attitudes about gender and power.

The film depicts the story of Sameer Mehra (Bobby Deol), a former TV superstar who is now trying to get his career and life back on track. He has a partner, Khushi (Saba Azad), with whom he shares a reasonably stable relationship. The story takes a turn when Samar’s ex-girlfriend Gayatri (Sapna Pabbi) returns to his life and accuses him of rape.

The story follows Samar (Bobby Deol), a struggling singer-actor whose life turns upside down when his ex-girlfriend Gayatri (Sapna Pabbi) accuses him of rape. What unfolds is a tense legal and media circus as Samar fights to clear his name.

Inspired by True Events

The film written by Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Banerjee is inspired by a real-life event. In a Variety interview, director Anurag Kashyap revealed: “The idea came from a true story, but we obviously had to navigate very thin lines. You don’t know who’s right, who’s wrong. There was rampant misuse of new laws, with cases of one woman filing eight different cases in eight different police stations with the help of a lawyer and a policeman.”

The film doesn’t take sides — it immerses you in the moral ambiguity of accusation, guilt, media trials, and a justice system that can break a person before any verdict is reached.

Full Cast and Crew

Key Cast

Crew

Bobby Deol’s Career-Best Performance

The biggest talking point of Bandar is, without doubt, Bobby Deol’s towering performance. Mayur Sanap of Rediff.com noted that “The greatest pleasure of Bandar is watching Bobby Deol let go of his vanity and submit himself to Anurag Kashyap’s unflinching filmmaking.”

Bandar has been called Bobby Deol’s career-best performance in Anurag Kashyap’s gripping crime thriller — dark, intense and thought-provoking. After years of playing safe commercial roles, Bobby completely transforms into Samar Mehra — a broken, narcissistic, and deeply flawed man who is as pitiable as he is repulsive.

Critical Reception — What the Reviews Say

Bandar has received largely positive reviews from critics. Here’s a summary of the critical reception:

Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and writes that “Overall, despite losing some momentum in the latter half, Bandar remains an engaging watch. It succeeds because it stays focused on the human cost of an accusation and the circus that follows. In an era where public opinion often arrives before the facts, the film feels timely and relevant.”

Box Office Collection

Despite strong reviews and praise for Bobby Deol’s performance, Anurag Kashyap’s thriller is struggling amid competition from Peddi, HJTIHH and others.

The film is facing tough competition at the box office from Varun Dhawan’s Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, Ram Charan’s Peddi, the Hollywood horror Obsession, and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Being a niche, intense drama, Bandar relies heavily on strong word-of-mouth, but so far, that hasn’t been enough to push the numbers significantly.

Given the modest theatrical numbers, an earlier OTT premiere could be on the cards, which would actually benefit the film greatly — dark, layered thrillers like Bandar often find their true audience on streaming platforms.

Festival Journey — From TIFF to Theaters

Bandar had its premiere at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival in 2025, where it was showcased under the Special Presentation category, marking its first major international outing ahead of its theatrical release. The TIFF premiere brought significant international attention to the film, with global critics praising Bobby Deol’s raw transformation and Kashyap’s unflinching direction.

Released internationally as Monkey in a Cage, the film is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language crime thriller directed by Anurag Kashyap and produced by Nikhil Dwivedi under his banner Saffron Magicworks.

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