Samapathik Trust is a sexual health organisation working on the rights and health issues for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) community. Taking their efforts a step further, they are now organising Advait, the first queer film festival to be held in Pune. Bindumadhav Khire, coordinator of the Samapathik Trust, shares, “For the past three years Samapathik Trust has been organising a Gay, Transgender, Intersex Pride Walk in Pune. From this year, we are planning to expand this event and have an annual Pune Queer Festival too.”

He was supported by Tinesh Chopade who is part of Samapathik Trust and the festival as Chopade relayed that the festival is another of their initiatives to create awareness amongst people about the queer community. As this is the first year of the festival, we have chosen only Indian movies and plays, amongst which the Marathi play Ek Madhav Baug — a story of a mother who accepted a gay child is a must-watch.