Cinema, courage, and a 32-Year love story: The journey of filmmakers Sridhar Rangayan and Saagar Gupta

In a country where queer stories have long struggled for visibility, filmmakers Sridhar Rangayan and Saagar Gupta have quietly but powerfully shaped the narrative through cinema and activism. Partners in life and creativity for over three decades, the Mumbai-based duo have built a body of work that blends storytelling with social change. From making India’s earliest drag-focused film to nurturing global conversations on LGBTQ+ rights, their journey is one of resilience, love, and purpose.Your journey into filmmaking seems unconventional. Did you always imagine this path?Sridhar: Not at all. If someone had told us years ago that we would become filmmakers, organise a film festival, and travel the world sharing queer stories, we would have laughed. We both came from traditional families. I am from Mandya in Karnataka and Saagar from Meerut. While our homes valued art and cinema, there was no creative lineage. Everything we built was self-created, shaped by choices that took us down unexpected paths.Your professional backgrounds were very different. How did cinema become common ground?Saagar: Our academic journeys were miles apart—Sridhar trained in engineering and visual design, while I studied hotel management. But destiny brought us together in 1994. We fell in love, and over the past 32 years we’ve lived, struggled, created, and dreamed together. What kept us going was our shared passion for storytelling.What pushed you to start making queer films in the early 2000s?Sridhar & Saagar: We began in 2002 simply because no one else was telling these stories. Representation was almost absent, except for rare, brave films like BomGay by Riyad Wadia. Mainstream portrayals were caricatured and disconnected from reality. We wanted to show the beauty, dignity, and truth of our community—especially the grace we saw in friends who performed in drag at private gatherings.That vision led to your first film. What do you remember about making it?Sridhar & Saagar: Our debut, Gulabi Aaina (The Pink Mirror), was made on a micro-budget. The struggles were immense—actors refused queer roles, the censor board denied certification, and distribution was nearly impossible. But the film travelled to 86 international festivals and became iconic as India’s first film on drag queens. The love it received kept us going.Your filmography steadily expanded after that. How did your storytelling evolve?Sridhar & Saagar: As we told more stories—fictional and real—we realised authenticity mattered most. Films like Yours Emotionally, 68 Pages, Project Bolo, Purple Skies, and later Breaking Free deepened our engagement with lived queer experiences. Art and advocacy became inseparable for us.Family and acceptance are recurring themes in your work. Tell us about this.Sridhar: Absolutely. That emotional core is strongest in Evening Shadows and its sequel Kuch Sapney Apne. Audiences often tell us our films feel like its about their own homes and families. We focus on authenticity—real locations, relatable casting, lived-in worlds—rather than glamour.Your films have received global recognition. Which honours are closest to your hearts?Saagar: We’ve been fortunate—37 international awards and screenings at over 350 festivals, with three films streaming on Netflix. But the most emotional moments were the National Award for Breaking Free in 2016, when our families stood by us proudly, and the Laadli Award for Kuch Sapney Apne in 2025, when Sridhar’s mother joined us on stage. Those felt like life coming full circle.Beyond awards, what impact has your work created?Sridhar & Saagar: The real reward is transformation. Many youngsters have used our films to come out to their parents. Many parents have written saying our stories helped them accept their children. Evening Shadows even inspired the formation of Sweekar – The Rainbow Parents, India’s first support group for parents of LGBTQ+ children, now with 600+ members. Knowing our films became a bridge within families means everything.How do you see queer cinema evolving today?Sridhar & Saagar: It fills us with joy to see younger filmmakers telling bold queer stories and finding acceptance. OTT platforms have opened doors we once only dreamed of. The landscape is far more welcoming now.What lies ahead for you both?Sridhar & Saagar: Our journey continues. We remain committed to challenging norms, supporting queer filmmakers, and pushing the boundaries of independent cinema—through festivals, OTT releases, theatrical showcases, and community screenings. The rainbow flag has guided our path, and we will continue to carry it forward—higher, brighter, and with pride.