Kashish brings Shaunak Sen, Shobhaa De, Sandip Roy and Miriam Chandy for conversations beyond cinema

While films remained at the heart of the 17th edition of KASHISH Pride Film Festival, some of the festival's most engaging moments unfolded through conversations that explored identity, community, care and cultural memory. Held from June 3 to 7, the festival added the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai, to its roster of venues this year, alongside Liberty Cinema and Alliance Française, creating a new space for dialogue beyond the screen.

Among the highlights was 'Care, Chaos & Coexistence: Breathing Freely and With Equality', a fireside conversation between Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Shaunak Sen and National Award-winning filmmaker Miriam Chandy Menacherry. Inspired by Sen's acclaimed documentary 'All That Breathes', the discussion delved into themes of care, solidarity, belonging and the importance of creating spaces where individuals can live and express themselves freely.

Reflecting on the significance of a community-led festival, Sen said, "It is incredible that a community has come together for the past 17 years to make this happen." Menacherry echoed the sentiment, highlighting the importance of independent festivals in supporting meaningful cinema. "Filmmakers often look to premiere at the top few festivals, but it is frequently at smaller festivals that films and filmmakers receive the care they deserve and where important work gets noticed," she said.

Sen also served on the festival's documentary jury alongside Jaydeep Sarkar and Monisha Thyagarajan, selecting winners in the Unity in Diversity Best Documentary Feature and Documentary Short categories. Speaking about his association with the festival, the Sundance-winning filmmaker said, "I am honoured and excited to be on the KASHISH film festival jury. I have loved many of the films that have played at the festival in recent years, and deeply admire the sheer international breadth of films that are programmed this year."

Another standout event at NGMA was the screening of Performing the Goddess: Chapal Bhaduri's Story, followed by a conversation between celebrated author and columnist Shobhaa De and author-journalist Sandip Roy. The session celebrated the extraordinary life and legacy of Chapal Bhaduri, the legendary Bengali theatre artist whose portrayal of female characters in Jatra challenged conventions of gender and identity long before such conversations entered mainstream discourse.

Expressing her enthusiasm about being part of the festival, De said, "I am so happy to be a part of South Asia's largest LGBTQ+ film festival, it was an evening well spent. I'm absolutely fascinated by this extraordinary person Chapal Rani who spent 30-35 years playing iconic female roles in Jatra to almost 20000 audience, with both men & women falling madly in love with him. Such was the charisma, such was the craft, and such was the performance." Quoting from Bhaduri's own reflections, she added, "In the book, Chapal Rani says, 'Men make the best woman', and I couldn't agree more with him!!"

Drawing from his book and years of personal conversations with Bhaduri, Roy offered intimate glimpses into the performer's life beyond the stage. He shared stories of Bhaduri's deep affection for his longtime lover and reflected on his present life in an old-age home, where attendants often remain excited to meet him because they grew up watching his iconic Jatra performances. Roy also recounted how actress Moon Moon Sen's visit brought immense joy to the veteran performer, highlighting the enduring admiration Bhaduri continues to command across generations.

Through discussions on cinema, literature, performance and lived experience, the sessions underscored the importance of preserving queer histories and celebrating artists whose work has broadened society's understanding of identity, expression and culture.

Together, the conversations brought alive the festival's theme, "Reflect, Resonate, Rejoice," reaffirming KASHISH Pride Film Festival's commitment to fostering dialogue beyond cinema and creating meaningful cultural spaces where films, ideas and communities intersect.



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