KASHISH QDrishti Film Grant to support to 3 LGBTQ+ films

An eminent jury panel comprising of award winning filmmakers Alankrita Shrivastava and Nupur Asthana, National Award winning editor Apurva Asrani and acclaimed producers Chhitra Subramaniam and Neeraj Churi picked one winner and 2 runners-up from around dozen submissions for the KASHISH QDrishti Film Grant 2022.

While the winning filmmaker Arvind Caulagi’s script Taps focuses on a gay relationship in Mumbai, the first runner-up Preeti Kanungo’s script Malwa-Kushan is a coming-of-age story of a young girl in a small town in Madhya Pradesh, and the second runner-up Bonita Rajpurohit’s script Hangouts, Makeouts & Everything in Between explores the problems of finding love for transgender person in Vadodra.

The grant of Rs.2.5 lacs is being awarded to a LGBTQ+ identifying filmmaker, supported by Lotus Visual Productions, a production company based in UK and India; and facilitated by KASHISH Arts Production, the charitable trust that organizes KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival every year. Popular actor and filmmaker Renuka Shahane offers support of Rs.50,000 to two runner-up to develop their scripts.

“This year’s scripts really hit it out of the park!’, exulted festival director Sridhar Rangayan, “Each script, and each of the filmmakers behind those scripts, were diverse and showcased the various stories from the LGBTQ+ spectrum with biting narratives rooted in reality, unlike the glossed over realities in mainstream cinema and web series. We are happy to be discovering these gems, and providing them a platform for these stories to be showcased on screen”.

“We were delighted by the variety and diversity of the scripts and the spectrum of LGBTQ+ filmmakers that presented those this year, making choosing the winner challenging. The stories they told were close to their heart and, in many cases, based on their personal experiences. It was a privilege to be part of the filmmaker’s journey as they brought their storytelling craft and vulnerability to the mix”, said Neeraj Churi whose company Lotus Visual Productions has been championing production of Indian LGBTQ+ films for the past 7 years.

“It gives me great pleasure to continue my support to the KASHISH QDrishti Film Grant, which is a valuable platform for bringing out stories of the LGBTQ+ community, through films made by the community members themselves. There cannot be anything more honest than these voices, which need to be nurtured”, said acclaimed actor and director Renuka Shahane who was on the grant jury last year and began supporting the runners-up.

“I have no words to describe this feeling of elation, honestly! After a spate of rejections and long periods of self-doubt, the news of winning the KASHISH QDrishti Film Grant is more than just reassuring. It makes me believe that there is value in what I have to say — that’s the best kind of validation. I am extremely thankful to the selection team, the jury and the team at KASHISH who created a safe space, heard me and believed in what I have to say. I’m super excited to make a kickass film with my collaborators!”, said Arvind Caulagi who studied to become an Architect, but was always passionate about making films. Apart from writing, directing and producing several short films, he is currently writing his first feature film.

Neeraj, the sponsor of the main grant, was generous and offered the full grant to the first runner-up too and also has promised the second runner-up the grant if the script is developed to its full potential, under the mentorship of the jury members.

“LGBTQI voices are deeply under-represented in the Indian film space. The grant is a small but very significant step forward in helping filmmakers from the community find encouragement and support. It was wonderful to read the beautiful scripts and interact with the filmmakers applying for the grant. I was so moved by the honesty and freshness of their voices and stories. These are stories that need to be told, voices that deserve space. The jury deliberation was heated, exciting and a lot of fun. We thought a lot, and argued a lot to finally arrive at the winners.  I feel most enriched and privileged for the opportunity to engage with this new wave of filmmaking voices”, said Alankrita Shrivastava, the international award winning film director and screenwriter of films such as Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare, Lipstick Under My Burkha and Turning 30, and web series Bombay Begums, Made in Heaven and a segment for Modern Love Mumbai.

“Kudos to KASHISH for encouraging and empowering scripting/filmmaking talent from the LGBTQ community. We saw a diverse range of stories that reflected the heart and the struggles of the community. And it was heartening to see Sridhar and his sponsor Neeraj Churi go out of their way to reward these storytellers with funds to realise these scripts into short films”, said Apurva Asrani, award winning editor of films and series such as Satya, Shahid, CityLights and Made In Heaven and screenwriter of Shahid, Simran and Criminal Justice Behind Closed Doors.

“KASHISH invited us jurors, a delightful collective, to read a curated shortlist of scripts for the KASHISH QDrishti Film Grant. The voices of these emerging filmmakers are so brave, dynamic & unique! Our deliberations, our discussions were thoughtful & lively both, very comprehensive, & our votes were unanimous! Many congratulations to the winners & participants alike”, said Nupur Asthana, director of films such as Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge and Bewakoofiyaan and web series Romil & Jugal and Four More Shots Please S2.

“It was fantastic being part of KASHISH QDrishti Film Grant 2022. It takes monumental effort & belief to continuously bring stories to the world for which I applaud KASHISH and the Creators. It was a learning experience for me as the scripts were personal, vulnerable, and authentic. The pitches gave me a glimpse into their world and reality, which remains hidden. I am gobsmacked with the talent that these creators have. The jury discussions were charged with enthusiasm & respect for different viewpoints”, said Chhitra Subramaniam, Sr. Vice President Creative & Production at Reliance Entertainment and she wears many hats – Creative Producer, Story Teller and Humanitarian.

The first and second runners-up expressed their happiness about receiving the grant.

“This is of great honor to be getting selected as the grant Runner-Up. I am extremely happy and excited to work with the team of mentors to bring the film to life. As a filmmaker, I want to experiment with the medium and with the material to showcase the cinema that we have not seen before on the screen and this grant is a start to that. For someone who doesn’t come from a filmmaking background, this is a great boost and I am immensely thankful to the entire KASHISH team for presenting me with this opportunity”, said Preeti Kanungo who is an artist and a feminist in the making. The purpose of her work is to continually bring forth lesser-talked realities through the intersection of gender and art.

“I have given up on a lot of things and dedicated myself thoroughly to something that requires consistency, hard work, and lots of patience, patience to execute your ideas. Being runner-up on  this grant is like the fruit of my Tapasya. Along with being able to express myself in front of the professionals I truly admire, hearing words of acknowledgment and encouragement from them has solidified my confidence and validated the entire time I have spent developing my work. This whole experience enables me to bring my vision come into reality and I cannot wait to take this journey ahead”, said Bonita Rajpurohit, who is a transgender filmmaker based in Vadodara who has worked in different capacities as a writer, director, & editor for films funded by friends & Family. Along with modeling for brands and acting in commercials.

The two other beautiful scripts that were shortlisted for pitching in front of the jury were I Think I Was Always Bi by Sapna Moti Bhavnani, who is a filmmaker and hairstylist in Mumbai; and The Yellow Muffler by Eishita, who is a filmmaker from New Delhi.

KASHISH QDrishti Film Grant has produced 6 short films in the past from 2016 onwards. These films have had their world premieres at the annual KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival.

Submissions of films for KASHISH 2023 will open soon. Details can be obtained at http://mumbaiqueerfest.com