It takes a village to make a film, but for filmmakers making LGBTQIA+ films it takes a lot more, says Sridhar Rangayan

Sridhar Rangayan

A filmmaker, writer, and activist, Sridhar Rangayan dons many hats. His pioneering work, ‘The Pink Mirror' and ‘Yours Emotionally' broke ground with their realistic and sympathetic portrayal of the LGBTQIA+ experience in a country where homosexuality remains a social hurdle.

A founding member and trustee of The Humsafar Trust, Rangayan has contributed to shaping public discourse and awareness around LGBTQIA+ rights for decades. He even designed and edited India's first gay magazine, Bombay Dost, amplifying marginalised voices. But, perhaps his most impactful role is as the founder and director of the Kashish Pride Film Festival (previously known as Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival). Established over a decade ago, Kashish has blossomed into South Asia's biggest LGBTQIA+ film festival, providing a crucial platform for diverse queer narratives. The 15th edition of Kashish Pride Film Festival screened 133 films from 46 countries in Mumbai last month where Indian transgender and non-binary filmmakers and actors won several awards for their films.

Through the festival, he challenges societal norms, fosters understanding, and champions the voices often silenced in mainstream cinema. In an exclusive chat with mid-day.com, Rangayan talks about his creative journey, the vision that fuels Kashish's success, and the ongoing evolution of LGBTQIA+ representation and narratives within the dynamic world of Indian cinema.

Here are edited excerpts:

You've worn many hats - filmmaker, writer, and activist. How do these different roles influence each other in your creative process?

Very difficult to answer this question, which is asked of me repeatedly - just like you cannot ask what each gear of a clock does to the other, apart from all of it moving the needle forward. I thrust myself ahead using all the various skills that I have, I'm each one of them, and yet a sum of all of them, I am a filmmaker because I love to write and create new stories, and I'm an activist because I want to tell stories that speak about a particular community and create a more equitable society.

Your projects depict the realities of LGBTQIA+ life in India. How do you balance social commentary with creating an engaging narrative?

Most of the stories I create are from lived personal experiences, either of myself, my friends, or people whom I know. That's why each one of my films feels personal, yet universal. My partner Saagar Gupta feels that it is important to tell stories through entertaining films, yet advocate something that the audience can take back - like acceptance of LGBTQIA+ persons, respect and empowerment of women, etc.

What are some of the challenges and opportunities you see for independent filmmakers creating LGBTQIA+ content in India?

It is said that it takes a village to make a film, but for filmmakers making LGBTQIA+ films it takes a lot more. With mainstream cinema still putting LGBTQIA+ characters to the sidelines, and with no other government or public funding support like in other countries, independent filmmakers in India have to scrounge around raising funds, cut corners in production, and put together scant resources to make a film. But then they get stuck in not being able to find distribution beyond film festivals, because of which they are unable to recoup their investment. Also because of a lack of finances, the filmmakers aren't able to make a qualitative project that can stand the test of time and go globally. While there has been an increase in portrayals of LGBTQIA+ narratives in the mainstream, I would like to see LGBTQIA+ filmmakers and storytellers get a chance to tell their own stories, in at least one out of ten projects.

Who are some filmmakers or storytellers who inspire you, particularly those working with LGBTQIA+ themes?

Gus Van Sant's ‘Milk' was a great inspiration, as well as all the films by Pedro Almodovar, each of them is a great inspiration on how to make films that are inclusive and engaging. In India, I deeply admire films by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Though they are not queer in their narratives, his film by being opulent, romantic and dramatic is very queer. Also, the trilogy of queer films by Rituparno Ghosh makes you wish that he/she had lived longer to make more films. I also respect Onir, who is continuously fighting to uphold the banner of queer films, along with us.

The Kashish festival has grown tremendously over the years. What are some of the biggest milestones you've seen for the festival and its impact on the LGBTQIA+ community in India?

We started Kashish Pride Film Festival in 2010 with the idea to mainstream queer visibility through cinema. Starting with a small 125-seater screen in PVR cinema to hosting the festival at the grand 1200-seater Liberty Cinema, and two other venues this year. The appetite for independent queer films is so much that we pretty much fill up the 1200-seater on most shows! Getting the Information and Broadcasting Ministry's clearance for an LGBTQIA+ film festival in the first year and thereafter every year is a big plus. Having our film festival voted by people across the world as one of the world's coolest LGBTQIA+ film festivals in 2013 in a poll by Moviemakers Magazine was cool. Stars like Sir Ian McKellen, Sonam Kapoor and Kunal Kapoor along with singer Sona Mohapatra all descend on Kashish in 2016 was a big high; also having celebrities such as Juhi Chawla, Manisha Koirala, Raveena Tandon, Zeenat Aman, Arjun Kapoor, Rajkumar Rao, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, etc gracing the festival's opening or closing every year is definitely manna sent from heaven, literally. Kashish was the first Indian film festival to go online with a full slate of new films when the pandemic hit the world, and our festival since then has continued its uninterrupted run for 15 years.

Kashish not only has been exhibiting Indian LGBTQIA+ films at its annual film festival and facilitating programming of Indian LGBTQ short films at film festivals across the world, as well as across community events in India, but also facilitating developing and producing LGBTQIA+ films by LGBTQIA+ identifying filmmakers through its Kashish QDrishti Film Grant in collaboration with UK based production company Lotus Visual Productions. We have already made 10 short films which have been programmed at festivals across the world and won awards.

What are the biggest challenges you face in curating films for the festival?

Though we have done 15 editions of the festival, we are never sure we will be able to do the next one. The uncertainty in funding and shifting priorities of partners have always been a barrier in planning long-term initiatives and also having a core staff working for the festival. While some of the partners have stood by us for many years, we need bigger and more consistent funding agencies. That is also the reason every year we are even worried about opening our call for film submissions - are we able to follow it up with an actual physical festival? But every year we have managed to pull it off. Curating for the festival has also undergone a sea change from the initial years when our audiences hungered for big-screen experiences of rom-coms with good-looking men and women, to now an appetite for more nuanced narratives that showcase different cultures. One of the biggest challenges is, that while we curate a large number of women and trans-oriented films, we don't have a large audience of women and trans members attending the festival.

Do you see a shift in the types of LGBTQIA+ stories being told by filmmakers globally? How is this reflected in the films submitted to Kashish?

There is a shift in films being made globally, where there are a smaller number of films about gay and lesbian persons, and more stories focussing on transwomen, transmasculine persons and non-binary persons. In Indian LGBTQIA+ films, the narratives have shifted from the angst-ridden films around who-am-I, and what-am-I to more real issues of LGBTQIA+ persons, like domestic issues between couples, housing issues, career focussed films, films with intersectionalities between sexuality and religion, sexuality and class, sexuality and disability, etc. Also, in Indian films, we can see a welcome shift from urban-centric stories to films set in semi-urban or rural environments, and in lesser-used languages such as Pahadi, Konkani, Sanskrit, etc. apart from all the other regional languages.

How has the rise of streaming platforms impacted the landscape of LGBTQIA+ films and the festival circuit?

The streaming platform has given wings to LGBTQIA+ narratives. Since it is a long-form narrative, there is more space for various tertiary characters to be portrayed, and usually, the filmmakers and OTT platforms tick the LGBTQIA+ characters. By and large, the portrayals have been positive, yet these characters do not occupy centre stage. While we are happy that these portrayals are coming about, we hope to have full-fledged LGBTQIA+ characters whose narratives are central to the story and not merely there for representation purposes. Also, as I said before LGBTQIA+ filmmakers, writers and actors need to be given charge to tell and depict their own stories.

The Kashish festival fosters a strong sense of community. How do you strive to create a welcoming and inclusive space for attendees?

KASHISH is a community-driven festival, which is both for the LGBTQIA+ community members and also mainstream audiences comprising allies, friends and families, and anyone interested in watching good cinema. The festival has always provided a safe space for LGBTQIA+ members to be able to be there with their full selves, however, they want to present themselves, and for non-LGBTQIA+ persons to meet the community and formulate a better understanding by removing myths and misconceptions. The festival has around 12 festival team members, and around 60 volunteers who are from various walks of life, and diverse gender and sexual identities, including heterosexual persons and students who make everyone at the festival welcome and included. Every audience member is special because they are investing their time and energy in coming to the festival, and we greatly value them. Also, every filmmaker who screens their film at the festival is treated like a king/queen, because each film is special is unique and the cast and crew have put their sweat and soul into their projects.

What are your hopes for the future of LGBTQIA+ representation in mainstream Indian cinema?

I never thought I would live to see mainstream Indian films focus on LGBTQIA+ narratives, but I'm happy to see changes in my lifetime. Sec 377 has been read down and a case of marriage equality is being built up, and I think the day is not far off when LGBTQIA+ characters receive the same equitable treatment in terms of character arcs and dignity which is accorded to all characters. And, my partner Saagar Gupta and the entire team of KASHISH team and filmmakers will ensure that we keep the rainbow flying high in Indian cinema.

Also Read: A conversation with LGBTQIA+ activist and author Sharif D. Rangnekar