Kashish film festival, a premier Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ) festival, which opens in the city on May 15, will see 133 films being screened from 46 countries. The festival will see a newly instituted award for the best Indian film on mental health.

This is more than an award; this is an acknowledgement about mental health in the community and beyond. It is giving mental health its rightful place in the creative spectrum. From so many members of the LGBT community who have died by suicide, as they were dealing with huge challenges while coming to terms with their sexuality, to forced conversions, the abuse faced is not always purely physical.