Sridhar Rangayan, festival director of Kashish Film Festival, speaks with Parth Tayal about the festival & the movies to be shown
What made you start the festivalIJ
This intent was to spread awareness about lGBT and entertain people through films. This festival is a great move to help people break the myths about lGBT. We initially launched Human Right Festival in 2010 which include freedom from discrimination, slavery, child abuse etc. We then realised its lGBT that needs more of attention thus the festival.
Karan Johar was trolled for never openly confessed that he is gay fearing of being jailed. Your take.
Coming out is a personal choice and every person has a right to be as out as he or she wants to be. However if popular public personalities come out they serve as role models and can inspire courage among the younger generation.
Has mainstream filmmakers done justice to gay and transgender issuesIJ
It has become far more sensible and less stereotypical. While we still don’t have uplifting happy gay love stories, films like Aligarh, Margarita With A Straw, A Indian Goddesses, Kapoor & Sons have pushed the boundaries. But the most wonderfully sensitive nuance portrayals can be found in independent cinema.
Which films of yours didn’t see the light of the day and whyIJ
I think almost all my films didn’t see the light of the day to be specific I would say The Pink Mirror. It was the collective demand of both the storyline and the plot that made my films what they are. It is still quite difficult for independent films with no big starcast or not backed by big production companies to find mainstream distribution. Of late online platforms like Netflix and Amazon bring in new hope in reaching out these films.
Tell us about the films that will open and close the festivalIJ
This year the theme of Kashish Festival is Diverse One. We will just not focus on lGBT, but also on other ignored minorities like handicapped and the physically challenged. The films that would be featured will be a mix of all so that people can come to know how unknowingly they start discriminating a particular kind of person just because he is different.