Jio Studios and Sikhya Entertainment have released a teaser for Karthik Subbaraj‘s “Dorothy” ahead of the Tamil-language film’s world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.

“Dorothy” is Subbaraj’s 10th feature and will screen in Toronto’s Centrepiece program, which spotlights celebrated filmmakers and anticipated world premieres from around the globe.

“It is set against the backdrop of rural India in the early ’90s, where friendship, compassion and hope are constantly tested by the realities of caste, violence and prejudice,” Subbaraj said. “While the world of the film is deeply rooted in a specific place and time, the emotions at its heart are universal.”

The film is produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Guneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain in association with Dhammam Films. It stars Sananth, Rishikanth and Keerthy Suresh. The score is composed by Ilaiyaraaja, marking the veteran composer’s 1,540th film.

Deshpande, president of Jio Studios, said the teaser captured the mood and emotional depth of Subbaraj’s film. “It offers a compelling first glimpse into Karthik’s beautifully crafted world with Ilaiyaraaja’s music drawing you in,” Deshpande said. “As we prepare for its world premiere at TIFF, with our multiple Oscar-winning partners at Sikhya Entertainment at the helm, we look forward to introducing this exceptional cinematic experience to audiences from around the world.”

Monga Kapoor and Jain, in a joint statement, cited Subbaraj’s ability “to tell deeply human stories through highly entertaining cinema.” “We’re incredibly proud to help bring that vision to the world alongside our partners at Jio Studios, and excited to finally share this first glimpse as the film begins its journey to its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival,” they added.

Subbaraj broke through with “Pizza” (2012) and went on to direct “Jigarthanda” (2014), “Iraivi” (2016) and “Mercury” (2018). His credits also include “Petta” (2019), starring superstar Rajinikanth, and cult favorites “Mahaan” (2022) and “Jigarthanda Double X” (2023).

Jio Studios, the entertainment arm of Reliance Industries Limited, has grown into one of India’s leading content studios. Its “Dhurandhar” franchise has grossed more than INR3,000 crore ($330 million) worldwide, and the studio has topped India’s Hindi-language box office for three consecutive years with “Stree 2” (2024), “Dhurandhar” (2025) and “Dhurandhar The Revenge” (2026). At India’s 72nd National Film Awards, the studio won four honors, including best feature film.

Sikhya Entertainment built its reputation on films such as “The Lunchbox,” “Masaan,” “Pagglait” and “What Will People Say,” along with the Oscar-winning short “Period. End of Sentence.” and the Oscar-winning feature documentary “The Elephant Whisperers” (2023). More recently, the banner backed National Award winners “Soorarai Pottru” (2020) and “Kathal – A Jackfruit Mystery” (2023), the ZEE5 series “Gyaarah Gyaarah” (2024), the 2024 documentary “Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous” and Toronto selection “Kill” (2024). “Dorothy” marks Sikhya’s return to Tamil-language cinema, four years after “The Elephant Whisperers.”

The film opens in theaters worldwide, including India, on Sept. 25.