Kashish collaborates with Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2021

Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, collaborates with Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, to bring an exciting line-up of gay, lesbian and transgender focus films as well as a panel discussion.
Sridhar Rangayan, festival director of Kashish said, “This is the third year in succession that we are collaborating with Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, this time virtually.We try to create a year-round slate of programming with other film festivals in India and across the world and also with organizations and corporates. We want to spread the message of rainbow love!”
“The festival has been synonymous with Mumbai city for over two decades now. The festival has always echoed the plurality of cultures in every form - be it the arts or its people. Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival represents an integral sub sect - the LGBTQIA+ community and their artistic expression thereof with cinema. We are proud to collaborate with Kashish for bringing a superlative showcase of queer themed short films. Further to this, a panel discussion of ‘Trans representation in mainstream Media’ is timely and relevant,” said Rohini Ramnathan, Content Director, KGAF 2021.
The panel discussion will bring together actors and content creators to discuss how the representation of transgender women has been in feature films released recently. The speakers are award winning director Ranjith Sankar, who has directed the fim Nyan Marykutty with Jayasurya in the lead role of a transgender character; popular actor Ashish Sharma, who played the eponymous role of Khejdi; real life transgender activist and actor Rudrani Chhetri, who plays Anarkali in The Last Colour; and Benjamin Daimary, who played the transgender character Maina in Jonaki Porura and Pradipta Ray, filmmaker & actor who did the dance Electric Piya in Gangs of Wasseypur. The panel is moderated by filmmaker and festival director Sridhar Rangayan.
Ashish Sharma, producer and lead actor of Khejdi said, “As an actor and an individual strongly feel that such discussions on inclusivity are very essential to bring about a sense of acceptance from all corners of professional environment. An individual irrespective of gender choice is empowered if they are independent and are financially secure and that can only happen if equal professional opportunities are provided and an inclusive healthy work environment is created. It is a two way street, society needs to be accepting and accommodating and that’s why people like me who represent so called ‘society’ should be a part of these conversations to make it accepting and de-stigmatising.”
This year the 12th edition of Kashish will be held in the month of May as a hybrid event combining online as well as on-ground programs.