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The critically acclaimed Indo-Australian film collaboration “My Melbourne” is gearing up for its second installment, bringing together another stellar lineup of Indian filmmakers to continue the project’s mission of cultural bridge-building through cinema.

Following the March 2025 release of the first “My Melbourne” — which featured segments directed by Rima Das, Onir, Imtiaz Ali, and Kabir Khan — Mind Blowing Films has revealed that Rajkumar Hirani, Anjali Menon, Shoojit Sircar, and returning helmer Onir will direct the upcoming second chapter.

The original “My Melbourne” anthology film tackled themes of identity, gender, race, sexuality, and disability, earning critical praise across India and Australia.

“The success of ‘My Melbourne’ has been overwhelming and deeply fulfilling,” said Mitu Bhowmick Lange, CEO of Mind Blowing Films and the creative force behind the project. “It has proven that stories told with authenticity and heart can transcend borders. We are honored to have some of the most acclaimed...

The prestigious UK Asian Film Festival announced the winners of its coveted Tongues on Fire Flame Awards at the Closing Gala Ceremony of its 27th edition, on Sunday 11th May at Riverside Studio, London. The UK Asian Film Festival has long been a champion of South Asian female-centric cinema and women in film, both on and off-screen. Each year, its programmes challenge patriarchal norms, spark critical conversations, and drive its mission to advocate for gender equality in the film industry. This year was no exception with a brilliant slate of films, in conversations and more.

UK Asian Film Festival Founder and Director, Dr Pushpinder Chowdhry MBE said, “This year has been a profound celebration of British Asian talent standing alongside our international guests – debut directors and actors pushing boundaries, creating against all odds, and confronting stereotypes with courage and creativity. We’ve been overwhelmed by the unexpected support from our communities and businesses,...

Renowned composing duo, Vishal Dadlani and Sheykhar Ravjiani, will be In Conversation at the Closing Gala ceremony of UK Asian Film Festival – the world’s longest running South Asian film festival outside the Subcontinent – taking place on Sunday 11th May at Riverside Studios, London. The musical duo will be discussing the forthcoming stage musical, Come Fall in Love: The Ddlj Musical, a theatre adaptation of one of the greatest and most popular films in Indian cinema, Yash Raj Films’ Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (Ddlj).

Vishal Dadlani and Sheykhar Ravjiani (popularly called Vishal & Shekhar in India) are among the biggest names in Indian music, with a career spanning two decades, having delivered some of the most-loved musical hits of the Indian film industry. These multifaceted musical composers are singers, songwriters, producers, and live performers. They have been nominated for and won almost every Indian music award. Their unique brand of music...

Sanjay Suri talks with Subhash K Jha about his film the hard-hitting drama Daman, which starred Raveena Tandon, which released 24 years ago.

How did you land a role in Kalpana Lajmi’s Daman?

I still remember it was very early in my career after Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi and Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya that I got a call from Kalpana Lajmi. I was very excited to hear from her. I had loved Rudali and wanted to work with her and Bhupenda (Hazarika).

How did your meeting with Kalpana go?

On one call, I visited her office in Lokhandwala office, where she met me and said he really liked me in Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi and had a role to offer in her next film called Daman. I was super excited.

Daman was not a mainstream film, and still you wanted to be part of it so early in your career?...

The powerful anthology film My Melbourne , featuring stories by four great directors, Onir, Rima Das, Kabir Khan, and Imtiaz Ali, is the Opening Gala film at the prestigious UK Asian Film Festival. The film explores identity, belonging, and resilience through four true stories of underrepresented voices in Australia.

To set the scene, here is the trailer

Imtiaz Ali is the creative director of Jules, which Arif Ali directed along with Tammy Yang. The story delves into the tale of Sakshi and Jules, who form an unlikely bond and navigate their connection despite their differences. Sakshi is a 23-year-old newly married girl who has recently moved to Melbourne. She has no friends, a controlling husband, a passion for food blogging, and a love for vanilla slices. Jules is a 52-year-old homeless woman with a critical tongue, a survivor’s spirit, and a flair for crossword puzzles and poetry. While no two people are more different,...

Mitu Bhowmick Lange, director of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne talks with Subhash K Jha about producing the brilliant anthology My Melbourne, featuring stories by Onir, Kanir Khan, Rima Das and Imtiaz Ali.

Please tell me about how the project was incepted?

We do the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, which has a very popular Short Film competition. Over the years, we have had wonderful winners from South Asian communities, yet never saw them of their work in the mainstream Australian screen space. Most of them told me about the lack of representation and inability to be authentic in the stories that they wanted to tell. I was discussing this with Onir and we came up with the idea where he would mentor emerging creatives from underrepresented backgrounds and create a short film. I kept thinking of it and felt that it would be so great if we could make...

Four prominent directors get together to weave a pastiche of pain and reconciliation in My Melbourne. The stories are told with a compelling clarity and cohesion, and we come away from them enriched, perhaps wiser, without being told how to live our lives. The tone of storytelling in every segment is never preachy, always gentle (even when emotional or physical violence is involved) and beseeching, as though to tell us that even when life sucks—as it often does—there is always a way out. So never despair.

Significantly, each segment is named after a woman. In the first segment Nandini (the name of a character who is already dead when the story begins), a father travels from Kolkata to Melbourne after his wife’s death to make peace with his gay son Indraneel (played by a striking Bangladeshi-Australian actor Arka Das). Director Onir shows a strong grip on his...

UK Asian Film Festival – the world’s longest running South Asian film festival – has unveiled the full programme of its 27th edition and it is an outstanding. Running at venues across London, Leicester and Coventry Ukaff opens Thursday May 1st and runs through Sunday 11th May.

This year’s “Longing and Belonging” theme will celebrate cinema that explores one of the most profound human experiences—the search for connection, identity and purpose. In every corner of the world, people grapple with feelings of longing—the ache for love; the pull of home; the need for acceptance; and the pursuit of meaning. Through the lens of cinema, these universal desires come to life in stories of displaced immigrants; journeys of self-discovery; quests for love; and the tension between tradition and modernity. As society moves forward, cinema remains a powerful tool for change—one that sparks conversations, amplifies voices and builds empathy.

Purab Kohli talks with Subhash K Jha about his game-changing role in the brilliant My Brother Nikhil directed by Onir, which released in 2005.

Purab, how do you look back at My Brother Nikhil?

Twenty years of My Brother Nikhil. So it’s been long, long since that movie was made and yet it holds a very strong place in my heart. I mean, just from reading the script, I still have a clear memory of it being one of the nicest scripts I’ve read. And beyond the fact of what the film was about and the message behind it, which was also very important for that period of time in India, when, I mean, there was nobody talking about such subjects and also the kind of film it was.

So you had no trepidation about playing a gay man?

The subject was very important, and I had no reservations whatsoever.

Exclusive: Veteran filmmakers Imitiaz Ali and Onir are among the guests confirmed to attend this year’s UK Asian Film Festival, which runs Thursday 1st – Sunday 11th May at venues across London, Leicester, and Coventry.

The festival’s opening gala will take place at the BFI Southbank and will feature the European premiere of the anthology flick My Melbourne (2024). Described as a “bold and moving celebration of diversity,” the anthology explores identity, belonging and resilience through four true stories of underrepresented voices in Australia—a queer man reconnecting with his father; a deaf dancer chasing her dream; a food blogger bonding with a homeless poet; and a refugee girl finding hope through cricket. Directors on the project are Onir, Rima Das, Imtiaz Ali, and Kabir Khan.

The closing film will be the London premiere of The Glassworker (2024), the Oscar-nominated animated feature from director Usman Riaz. The film’s synopsis reads: As war looms,...

Onir, director of the brilliant Queer drama My Brother… Nikhil talks with Subhash K Jha about making the film, which is still celebrated 20 years after the release of the moving film.

Onir, 20 years down the line My Brother…Nikhil remains a milestone in queer cinema?

I only feel gratitude that with the film I became a filmmaker from dreaming to being one in the world’s largest film making industry. Humbled for having received love for the film for last two decades and having been able to create my own identity as a filmmaker.

My Brother… Nikhil also started your longstanding collaboration with actor Sanjay Suri?

My association with Sanjay started before My Brother…Nikhil. If I am filled with gratitude for twenty years of Mbn, I also celebrate twenty-five years of collaboration with my friend /actor/producer Sanjay Suri.

The film still has an indelible impact?

Last month, we...

Subhash K Jha revisits Onir’s delicately drawn Queer drama, My Brother… Nikhil, which starred Juhi Chawla, Sanjay Suri, and Purab Kohli, as it clocks 20 years since its release.

There was something happening to Hindi cinema in 2005… Something strange, stirring, exciting, and pathbreaking. After Madhur Bhandarkar’s Page 3 and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black, you would think our cinema has given enough of the unconventional palate for the audience to chew on.

Not so! In My Brother… Nikhil, an intimate and yet far-reaching study of family ties, social castigation, and the resilience that makes the human spirit ride over daunting adversities—much like the swimmer-hero of debutant director Onir’s heartwarming film who rides the oceans … until oceanic events overtake his well-ordered life.

First things first. My Brother… Nikhil is a film about a very critical social cause, AIDS, to be precise….The imprecise parameters of the complex issue are...

Akash Menon and Mir Tawseef as Karun and Faheem

When I met Onir the week before last, the celebrated Indian filmmaker was looking forward to his second visit to London’s BFI Flare, having screened Pine Cone there last year. This year’s offering, Kashmiri love story We Are Faheem & Karun is one of the best films at the festival so I was delighted to have the opportunity to discuss it, but he’s modest about his work.

“I was overwhelmed,” he says of his 2024 experience. “Within the first two days, the tickets were sold out, and they requested for a third show. And they asked me ‘Why do you think your film is so popular?’ I said that all the South Asians must be coming. And then, before the show started, when I was taken in to the cinema, I realised that 80% of the audience was not South Asians.

Bollywood star Kartik Aaryan has showered praises on the much-anticipated anthology film My Melbourne. Kartik expressed his high praises for the film saying he was highly impressed by the film and its compelling storytelling.

Expressing his admiration for the project, Kartik Aaryan shared, “I really enjoyed watching the movie. It’s really uplifting and it’s all about inclusivity and diversity. The movie relent lives up to the expectations. I especially loved Kabir sirs movie, Setara and that’s my personal favourite. It’s so brilliantly acted and i wish the entire team all the best”.

A collective effort of renowned Indian filmmakers, My Melbourne features four distinct stories:

Kabir Khan’s Setara – A powerful tale of a 15-year-old Afghan girl fleeing the Taliban and finding solace in cricket while adjusting to a new life in Melbourne. Imtiaz Ali & Arif Ali’s Jules – A heartwarming narrative exploring cross-cultural friendships and personal identity.

Academy Award-winning music composer A.R. Rahman has introduced the first track from the much-anticipated anthology My Melbourne. The song titled Rukhna Nahi, is a celebration of empowerment and unity through music. The vocals have been given by Aryans Sayeed, an Afghani musician who is making her Hindi debut with the song. Known off her extensive work in activism for women’s rights in Afghanistan, Aryana is currently settled in London. Hailing from Kabul, the singer has been an icon in the culture and music space of Afghanistan early on. The songs lyrics and music has been done by Anurag Sharma.

My Melbourne, an anthology featuring four compelling stories directed by Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Onir, and Rima Das, explores human connection, resilience, and identity against the vibrant, multicultural backdrop of Melbourne. Inspired by true events, the film sheds light on themes of race, gender, sexuality, and disability, offering an authentic...

Renowned filmmaker Onir, a champion of queer narratives and indie cinema, is thrilled to announce that his latest film, We Are Faheem & Karun, will be screened at the 39th edition of the prestigious BFI Flare on March 20 and 22, 2025.

Onir shared his excitement, stating, “This will be the international premiere of our film and the first time a Kashmiri language film, shot entirely in the border regions of Gurez, Kashmir, is showing at the festival. The film would also be the first queer narrative from the Valley. A love story set in Gurez, Kashmir between a security guard at a construction site, Karun, from Kerala, and a local Kashmiri college student, Faheem.”

The film’s inclusion at BFI Flare marks a significant moment for Kashmiri representation in global cinema. Onir emphasized the importance of this milestone, adding, “I am proud that my Kashmiri cast members too will be present at the screening in London.

The trailer for My Melbourne, an anthology of four powerful stories set in Melbourne, is out now, offering a glimpse into the unique, thought-provoking tales of human connection, resilience, and identity. Set against the multicultural backdrop of Melbourne, the film delves into the diverse experiences of four characters, each facing their own personal journey. With its India release scheduled for 14th March 2025 across cinemas, My Melbourne brings ogether the creative genius of four renowned Indian filmmakers – Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Rima Das, and Onir.

The four stories all inspired by true incidents and each directed by different filmmakers, provides a lens into Melbourne’s diverse communities while addressing universally relevant themes of race, gender, sexuality, and disability. The narratives reflect both individual and collective struggles, ultimately celebrating the power of inclusivity, identity, and connection.

Nandini – Directed by Onir tells the story of Indraneel, a queer Indian man, reunites with his...

It’s a liminal place, the borderline that runs through Kashmir: desolate, beautiful, a place where terrible things have happened and yet one where magical things seem possible. High up in the mountains, a long, winding road offers dizzying views. Faheem (Mir Tawseef) isn’t used to encountering a checkpoint here, but he takes it in his stride, stopping his motorbike, answering questions, establishing that he’s a local – and establishing something else. The way he catches the eye of one of the guards says it all. This is Karun (Akash Menon), recently posted there, all the way from Kochi in Kerala. He’s a smoky-eyed young man who has never known winter and Faheem is instantly smitten.

The latest work by outspoken gay filmmaker Onir, We Are Faheem & Karun is among the most impressive new titles at this year’s BFI Flare, a soulful romance which is distinctly Indian in style.

Places of political turmoil are often defined by just that – conflict, trauma and the big geopolitical issues. It’s very easy to forget about the humanity that resides within the everyday lives of people wanting to live their lives and finding hope in the most unexpected of places. Acclaimed Indian writer/director/producer Onir tackles this head on with We Are Faheem & Karun, his beautifully sensitive portrayal of life in Gurez, a remote village on the Kashmiri border. A security man from India, Karun, is posted there and unexpectedly, through a series of interactions at the checkpoint he falls for Faheem, a young Kashmiri local and against all odds, their relationship blossoms. Inspired by a true story of a gay army man, the Ministry of Defence in India initially refused to give Onir the permission to shoot, stating the film was derogatory to the army…three years later it’s...

UK Asian Film Festival – the world’s longest running South Asian film festival – has announced the Opening and Closing films and theme of its 27th edition. Running at venues across London, Leicester, and Coventry from Thursday, 1st – to Sunday, 11th May, the UK Asian Film Festival is presented by Tongues on Fire. It is supported by the BFI Audience Projects Fund, awarding National Lottery funding. UK Asian Film Festival is powered by broadcast partner Lyca Radio.

The UK Asian Film Festival has long been a champion of South Asian female-centric cinema and women in film, both on and off-screen. Each year, its programmes challenge patriarchal norms, spark critical conversations, and drive its mission to advocate for gender equality in the film industry.

This year’s “Longing and Belonging” theme will celebrate films that explore one of the most profound human experiences—the search for connection, identity, and purpose. People grapple...

BFI Flare: London Lgbtqia+ Film Festival (March 19-30) has unveiled its full line-up, with 56 features across three strands, exploring subjects such as Kenya’s ballroom scene and the appeal of dating apps.

The programme has films and shorts from 41 countries, with six world premiere features. These include Kenyan filmmaker Njoroge Muthoni’s documentaryHow To Live, which explores Nairobi’s vibrant ballroom scene and celebrates queer African joy.

In Yu-jin Lee’s Manok, the owner of a South Korean lesbian bar must return to her small hometown after clashing with the city’s younger queer community.

Buenos Aires-set comedy drama Few...

“My Melbourne” (2024) is a unique Indo-Australian collaboration where Indian filmmakers, namely, Onir, Imtiaz Ali, Rima Das, and Kabir Khan, team up with local talents in Melbourne to tell four stories about race, gender, sexuality and disability. Based on true migrant experiences, the anthology of four shorts features tales of displacement, discrimination, inequality, alienation, and estrangement of four individuals grounded by unique situations in Melbourne but bound together by similar aspirations and themes. Reflecting on South Asian realities, the film provides the platform to showcase a few unsaid stories and represent some of the underrepresented voices in the Australian city of Melbourne that resonate globally.

With “My Melbourne” (2024), each filmmaker directs a prime display of their auteurship by doing what they do best. Rima Das directs “Emma” which tells the story of a talented deaf dancer in pursuit of acceptance while overcoming discrimination. “Jules” by Imtiaz Ali is a story of self-discovery,...

Mumbai Film Festival has announced the 11 titles selected for its South Asia competition, the main competitive section of the festival, which includes the UK’s Oscars submission, Sandhya Suri’s Santosh, making its South Asian premiere.

The line-up also includes Nepal’s Oscars submission, Min Bahadur Bham’s Shambhala, along with one other Nepali title – Deepak Rauniyar’s Pooja, Sir – and Bhutanese title Agent Of Happiness, directed by Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbo.

Indian titles in the competition include Rima Das’ Village Rockstars 2, which recently won a Jiseok award at Busan International Film Festival; multiple award-winner Girls Will Be Girls, by Shuchi Talati; Raam Reddy’s The Fable and Midhun Murali’s Kiss Wagon (see full line-up below).

The non competitive Focus South Asia section is screening ten features and 13 shorts, including a title from Afghanistan – Roya Sadat’s The Sharp Edge Of Peace – and a short film from Myanmar,...

Payal Kapadia’s Cannes Grand Prix winner “All We Imagine as Light” will kick off the Mami Mumbai Film Festival’s 2024 edition, while Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or recipient “Anora” will close the festival.

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Jio is no longer the title sponsor and, consequently, this year’s edition is a shortened version running from Oct. 19-24. The festival is led this year by renowned archivist and filmmaker Shivendra Singh Dungarpur.

The festival issued an open letter stating: “This year marks a period of transition for us, where Mami has no title sponsor. While we have had to adjust to the challenges that come with such a shift, we are proud to announce that we’ve put together an exciting edition of the festival.”

“Now more than ever, we need the goodwill and encouragement of our audience. We ask for your patience and understanding as we bring...

The International South Asian Film Festival of Canada (iSAFF) just completed its fourteenth edition and hosted the North American premiere of Usman Riaz’s “The Glassworker.” Riaz’s film is the first hand-drawn animated feature from Pakistan and the country’s official Academy Award entry for 2025.

The festival honors filmmaking in various categories; short films (international and North America), documentary filmmaking, feature filmmaking, and the annual Sher Vancouver Award for Best LGBTQ+ Film. Jurors across categories were filmmakers, content creators, performers, and more, including “Ms. Marvel” star Iman Vellani and Shahani Goswami, star of the U.K.’s official Oscar entry, “Santosh.”

This year also introduced the Rbc Film Fund in partnership with Royal Bank of Canada, which will provide five thousand Canadian dollars to each of five different iSAFF films. A year from now, iSAFF plans to celebrate the first batch of recipients from this fund and the work they’ve achieved.

Indian auteur Anurag Kashyap is returning to the children’s film genre with his latest production, “Little Thomas.”

The comedy-drama, which is the feature directing debut of Kaushal Oza, is slated for its world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (Iffm).

Starring Gulshan Devaiah and Rasika Duggal, alongside child actor Hridansh Parekh, “Little Thomas” marks Kashyap’s first foray into children’s cinema since his 2007 animated directorial venture “Return of Hanuman.”

Set in 1990s Goa, the film follows a seven-year-old boy’s attempts to reunite his quarreling parents in hopes of getting a baby brother. Kashyap, known for hard-hitting films like “Gangs of Wasseypur” and “Ugly,” was drawn to Oza’s vision of creating a genuine children’s film from a kid’s perspective.

“It’s a difficult genre actually, to make an authentic children’s film,” Kashyap said. “So one has to ensure that it’s a good script before making it.

Onir, one of a handful of out and proud Indian filmmakers, is speaking out about the current scenario for LGBTQ filmmakers in the country.

“There are a lot of non-Indian queer films and series available on streaming and also a lot of queer short films and reel videos being made across the country. Having said that, I feel the mainstream industry and streaming platforms when it comes to queer content are mostly still taking baby steps, and also looking at our stories from a very heteronormative gaze,” Onir told Variety.

“The queer gaze is largely missing. What is disappointing is that it’s largely about a tick mark of having done the right thing — right from actors to platforms and studios that use the phrase ‘but we are already doing one queer story.’ I don’t understand what that means. We are not one homogeneous story, we have many stories.

Producer Kewal Garg, who is currently awaiting the release of his upcoming film ‘Merry Christmas’, has been bringing tectonic shifts in the landscape of Bollywood.

The businessman and producer, associated with Matchbox Pictures Pvt Ltd, started his journey in Bollywood with the film ‘Main Krishna Hun’ starring Katrina Kaif and Hrithik Roshan. He then solidified his position with the landslide critical and commercial success of ‘Andhadhun’. The Netflix movie ‘Monica, O My Darling’ furthered his vision to bring path-breaking stories to the fore.

Hailing from Punjab, Kewal Garg is committed to offering cinematic brilliance. He emphasises the significance of meticulous planning.

He said: “Making a film involves a lot of planning. The most important task is to build a good team that can understand your vision and the director’s vision.”

Crediting his success to hard work, destiny and pure intentions, the producer has maintained a perfect balance in his personal and professional life.

Mumbai, Dec 12 (Ians) The 15th edition of the Indian Film Festival Melbourne will open on August 15, 2024, and will feature the Indian Independence Day Celebrations (flag hoisting), Iffm Awards night, Iffm Dance Competition and Iffm Closing Night.

The upcoming edition of the film festival was announced by Victoria governor, Margaret Gardner AC, at an Iffm industry event held in Mumbai.

In attendance was Mitu Bhowmick Lange Am, Iffm Festival Director, along with various leading films makers, studio heads, stars and stakeholders of the Indian film industry.

The festival also announced a new festival initiative called Iffm Baari, which means ‘House’ in Bengali.

Iffm Baari will be an inclusive space for founders and leaders from diverse creative industries to engage with emerging creative voices especially from the south Asian communities.

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi was also honoured with the Iffm Excellence Award.

The award was confirmed for the 2023 festival, but the actress...

Mumbai, Dec 12 (Ians) The 15th edition of the Indian Film Festival Melbourne will open on August 15, 2024, and will feature the Indian Independence Day Celebrations (flag hoisting), Iffm Awards night, Iffm Dance Competition and Iffm Closing Night.

The upcoming edition of the film festival was announced by Victoria governor, Margaret Gardner AC, at an Iffm industry event held in Mumbai.

In attendance was Mitu Bhowmick Lange Am, Iffm Festival Director, along with various leading films makers, studio heads, stars and stakeholders of the Indian film industry.

The festival also announced a new festival initiative called Iffm Baari, which means ‘House’ in Bengali.

Iffm Baari will be an inclusive space for founders and leaders from diverse creative industries to engage with emerging creative voices especially from the south Asian communities.

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi was also honoured with the Iffm Excellence Award.

The award was confirmed for the 2023 festival, but the actress...

Upcoming titles handled by Embankment, Protagonist, Goodfellas and Studiocanal to receive a share of production funding.

Screen Australia is to allocate more than Aud$10m ($6.4m) of production funding to a raft of upcoming film and TV projects.

The national screen body will support six features including Sophie Hyde’s An Ideal Woman, starring Emilia Clarke; Dario Russo’s The Fox, starring Jai Courtney and from the producers of horror hit Talk to Me; and Charles Williams’ Inside, starring Guy Pearce. Further films to receive a share of the funding include David Vincent Smith drama He Ain’t Heavy, John Sheedy...

Mumbai, Aug 11 (Ians) Rani Mukerji was named the Best Actress In Film (Female), Vijay Varma as Best Actor (Male) In Series took home the top honours at the 14th edition of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (Iffm).

Rani won for ‘Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway’ and Mohit Agarwal took home the award for Best Performance in Film (Male) for ‘Agra’.

While ‘Sita Ramam’ was announced the Best Film, ‘Agra’ the Best Indie Film, Kannada Filmmaker Prithvi Konanur was feted with Best Director.

‘To Kill A Tiger’ took home the Best Documentary.

Vijay Varma for ‘Dahaad’ and Rajshri Deshpande for ‘Trial By Fire’ were named as Best Performance (Male) and Best Performance (Female) in a series respectively.

Period Drama ‘Jubilee’ starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Aparshakti Khurana, Sidhant Gupta, Aditi Rao Hydari, Wamiqa Gabbi and Ram Kapoor was tagged as the Best Series.

Best Short Film – People’s Choice honour was won by ‘Connection...

Director Onir, who is awaiting the release of his upcoming film ‘Pine Cone’, will be launching five new faces. For this, he conducted auditions on Zoom across India and shortlisted his five lead actors from five different places – Sirsa, Anantnag, Gwalior, Delhi and Kolkata.

The director feels that it is imperative to have an influx of new talent in the industry for its collective growth.

Talking about the same, he said: “There are some really talented people across the country. As filmmakers, we need to put a little effort into going beyond the routine to find them. Since these actors will be completely raw, they give a very fresh perspective to your characters.”

He further mentioned: “When I auditioned for ‘Pine Cone’ I met some excellent performers. Of course they had to go through workshops to prepare for the role. This way, you are not giving a chance to new...

Filmmaker Onir was felicitated by actress Raveena Tandon with the prestigious Kashish Rainbow Warrior Award at the opening ceremony of the 14th Kashish International Queer Film Festival for his film ‘Pine Cone’, recently. The event celebrated diversity, inclusion, and the power of cinema.

The film explores the complexities of queer relationships, pushing the boundaries of societal norms and shedding light on the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community.

The Kashish Rainbow Award holds a special significance for Onir in the light of Pride Month and the recent debate around same-sex marriage.

Onir said: “This award is incredibly special, not only because it is Pride Month, but also because it’s Kashish , and it’s special that this award of love happens in My city … Mumbai. I thank Kashish Film Festival and Sridhar for this award. I am humbled.”

Onir also expressed his heartfelt gratitude towards Raveena Tandon, who has been his...

Mumbai, May 30 (Ians) Director Onir, who has a strong voice for the LGBTQ community, has unveiled the first poster for his highly anticipated film, ‘Pine Cone.’

The film serves as a powerful advocate for true representation of the LGBTQ community in cinema coming from lived experiences.

‘Pine Cone’ is set to open South Asia’s largest queer film festival, Kashish, on June 7, promising to captivate audiences with its layered love story of a gay man as he navigates through love, loss and desire.

As an out and proud gay man, Onir has dedicated his career to crafting narratives that celebrate the LGBTQ community and their journey towards love, equality and acceptance. ‘Pine Cone’ is yet another remarkable addition to his portfolio, exploring queer desire sans filters while challenging stereotypes.

The first poster for ‘Pine Cone’ offers a glimpse into the intense emotions that engulfs the film. Painted as an art piece,...

Partnership

Entertainment One (eOne) has solidified its collaboration with U.K. independent production company Hardcash Productions through an exclusive first-look agreement. Under the deal, brokered by Kate Cundall, eOne’s VP of acquisitions, and Robin Barty-King, Hardcash’s business affairs consultant, the partnership aims to develop and produce investigative factual content for the global market. eOne will handle international rights for all projects resulting from this collaboration.

Previously, eOne and Hardcash worked together on the distribution of award-winning documentaries such as “Inside China,” “Fearless: The Women Fighting Putin” and “Outbreak: The Virus that Shook the World,” which have been sold to over 160 territories worldwide.

Cundall said: “Through this collaboration, we’ve secured a unique access to one of the most prestigious documentary makers in the world of factual and documentary programming, and we look forward to continuing to provide award-winning unscripted storytelling to audiences worldwide.”

Esella Hawkey, creative director at Hardcash Productions,...

Melbourne, May 8 (Ians) The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne wrapped up the much anticipated shooting of the first film out of four films under the ‘My Melbourne Project’.

The film, which is yet to be named, is co-directed by Onir and William Duan.

It stars Arka Das, Mouli Ganguly, and Jackson Gallagher.

The film was shot in five days and the story is based on grief and forgiveness.

The film follows the reunion of a queer Indian man, Indraneel, played by Arka, and his father, Mihir, played by Mouli, after many years of estrangement.

Onir said: “I am happy to be a part of My Melbourne as it is a unique and special film. It’s the first time such a unique cross-country initiative has been taken to bridge cultural ties and bring the two communities together using the medium of cinema. The films of My Melbourne are based on...

Production on anthology feature My Melbourne, produced by Mind Blowing Entertainment, is set to get underway this month in collaboration with high-profile Indian directors Kabir Khan, Onir, Rimas Das and Imtiaz Ali. The film interweaves four stories from emerging writing and directing teams, exploring sexuality, gender, disability and race. Mitu Bhowmick Lange and Leanne Tonkes […]

The post Multicultural anthology feature ‘My Melbourne’ kicks off under guidance of Indian directors appeared first on If Magazine.

India’s Film Bazaar, South Asia’s largest film market, has selected a range of projects from around the world for its annual co-production market, which will be held in-person this year after two years of being online due to Covid-19.

Though the 20 selected projects are from 11 countries, and most are already structured as co-productions, they are all South Asian-themed. Michael Radford, best known for BAFTA and Oscar-winning film “Il Postino,” has Spanish-language Spain-India project “The Princess of Kapurthala,” which he will co-direct with Manuel Estudillo (“Caso Urquijo”). Juan Antonio Casado and Davide Cottarelli of Pok Production are producing.

Gautam Arora’s Hindi and English-language film “The Last Lane” (India) is being produced by Kite Rabbit Films, the production company of Shaunak Sen, whose “All That Breathes” won best documentary at both Sundance and Cannes this year.

Gogularaajan Rajendran’s Tamil and Malay-language project “Depth of Darkness” is being produced...

EntertainmentBoth the director and the actor have expressed their excitement to start working together in the film.Tnm StaffCourtesy - Instagram / nimisha_sajayanMalayalam actor and female lead in The Great Indian Kitchen Nimisha Sajayan will next act in We Are, sequel to the acclaimed anthology film I Am, directed by Hindi filmmaker Onir. This will mark Nimisha's acting debut in Hindi. "Up next We Are - A powerful story which is a sequel to the highly acclaimed anthology series, I Am directed by @iamonir," Nimisha posted on her Instagram page. She adds, "@iamonir can’t wait for the shoot to start," and thanks among others, filmmaker Geetu Mohandas and casting director Shaneem. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nimisha Bindu Sajayan (@nimisha_sajayan) Onir, confirming the news on his Twitter page, wrote, "Super excited to be working with @NimishaSajayan #WeAre." In a second tweet, he added that...

CoronavirusPia took to Twitter on Tuesday to seek help finding ventilator beds in Up’s Farrukhabad. PTIInstagram/Pia BajpieeActor Pia Bajpiee on Tuesday said that her brother had passed away after a frantic search for ventilator beds in Farrukhabad, Uttar Pradesh. Pia, who predominantly works in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu cinema, took to Twitter and posted an Sos call, writing that she urgently required a ventilator bed as her brother was "dying". She didn't specify if he had Covid-19. "I need urgent help in district Farukhabad , kayamganj block, Up. A bed with ventilator. My brother is dying. Any lead please help. Please contact if you know anybody... We are already in mess (sic)," the 27-year-old actor wrote. I need urgent help in district Farukhabad , kayamganj block .Up.. a bed wd ventilator ..my brother is dying ..any lead plz help Plz Contact if u know anybody -9415191852 Abhishek.. we are already...

Mumbai, March 24 (Ians) Composer Vishal Dadlani on Wednesday took to social media to once again express solidarity with the ongoing farmers' protest.

Dadlani shared a photograph of organic tomatoes grown by him on Instagram, and captioned: "Respect what you eat, and the Farmers who grow it. If you ever till the Earth yourself, you'll know how much work it is, and how much love and patience it takes. (This is just a small patch of tomatoes and it's taught me a lot!) #FarmerProtests #FarmersProtest #JaiKisaan #IStandWithFarmers."

The composer has expressed solidarity with the protesting farmers earlier, too.

On January 26, after a section of the protesting farmers were reported to have turned violent, Dadlani had tweeted: "Does it make sense to you? Farmers who protested peacefully for so many months, even in the face of police violence, suddenly turned violent today? Why? Just doesn't compute. Plus, we've seen those in power do this before.

Penguin Random House India are delighted to announce the acquisition of the intimate and dramatic memoirs of award-winning film-maker Onir. The book will be released in 2022 under the Viking imprint.

Craftsman extraordinaire, Onir shares his fascinating journey in this book, co-written with his sister, Irene Dhar Malik, an award-winning film editor, screenwriter and short-story writer. He narrates deeply personal experiences, laying bare the struggles and triumphs that moulded him on his path to success. He offers readers a rare glimpse of his life, from his childhood days in Bhutan to when he was a young man with no connections in the Hindi film industry and later when he faced especially turbulent times. From the beginning of his career, Onir bravely asserted his sexual identity in a conservative, competitive environment. Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, he dream't big and fought hard to carve out a niche for himself.

Onir writes about his...

Film Bazaar, South Asia’s largest co-production market, has revealed 21 eclectic projects from several countries and in a welter of languages, for its 2021 online edition.

The selected filmmakers will pitch their projects virtually to a curated audience of Indian and international producers, distributors, festival programmers, financiers and sales agents at an open pitch session. This year, Film Bazaar has also collaborated with the French Embassy in India which will be sponsoring the French Institute Award for one market project.

As is the usual case, the projects are a mix of festival favorites and debutants.

From India, Berlinale title “Eeb Allay Ooo!” editor Tanushree Das and Rotterdam title “Nasir” cinematographer Saumyananda Sahi make their directorial debuts with Bengali-language “Baksho Bondi” (aka “How Long Is Tomorrow?”), produced by Naren Chandavarkar (Rotterdam Fipresci winner “The Bangle Seller”); Tamil-language “Bommainayagi” (aka “Queen Doll”) by debutant Shanawaz Nizamudeen, produced by Pa. Ranjith, director of Rajinikanth...

Line-up includes new projects from Onir, Anjali Menon, Shyam Bora and Haobam Paban Kumar.

Film Bazaar, organised by India’s National Film Development Corp (Nfdc), has announced the 21 projects selected for the Co-production Market (Cpm) of its 2020 edition, which will take place online next month after being postponed from its usual November slot.

The line-up includes projects in 17 South Asian languages originating in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, as well as co-productions with Canada, China, Netherlands and France.

International collaborations include Onir’s We Are, co-produced by India’s Anticlock Films and Canada’s Fae Pictures; India-Netherlands collaboration Dengue,...

Onir is directing and co-writing “symbolic sequel” to his award-winning anthology I Am, with Fawzia Mirza as co-writer.

Shant Joshi’s Canada-based Fae Pictures is joining forces with Indian director Onir’s Anticlock Films on LGBTQ-themed feature We Are, which is being set up as an India-Canada co-production.

Onir is directing and co-writing the feature with Fawzia Mirza (Signature Move). Anticlock’s Sanjay Suri is producing with Onir and Joshi, in association with Baby Daal Productions. Production is expected to start in late 2021 or early 2022.

The two companies describe the project as a “symbolic sequel” to Onir’s award-winning 2011 anthology film,...

Mumbai, Nov 15 (Ians) Several celebrities from the Indian film fraternity paid their emotional tributes to Bangla cinema doyen Soumitra Chattopadhyay, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 85.

The Dadasaheb Phalke recipient thespian's demise was confirmed by a bulletin from Kolkata's Belle Vue Hospital, where he had received Covid treatment.

"We declare with heavy heart that Shri Soumitra Chattopadhyay breathed his last at 12.15 pm at Belle Vue Clinic today (15 November 2020). We pay our homage to his soul," said the hospital statement.

Shortly after his death, celebrities from the world of cinema took to social media and expressed grief.

National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajyapee called Chattopadhyay's death a "tragic loss".

"Tragic loss!! Rest in peace Sir!! Your contribution to the Indian Cinema will always be remembered and inspire the generations to come!!" Bajpayee wrote on Twitter.

Actress Soha Ali Khan posted two pictures of the late veteran with her mother...

Filmmakers Anubhav Sinha and Hansal Mehta on Tuesday expressed concern for actress Rhea Chakraborty, who continues to be in judicial custody.

A Special Court in the city earlier in the day extended the judicial custody of Rhea and her brother Showik Chakraborty till October 20, in a drug-related case that came up as part of investigation into the death of Rhea's boyfriend, late actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Anubhav Sinha tweeted: "That girl has been in Jail for a month. Seriously guys!!!"

Hansal Mehta wrote on the microblogging site, "Please remind me. What is @Tweet2Rhea in custody for exactly? And why is she still in custody?"

Reacting to Sinha's tweet, screenwriter Kanika Dhillon wrote: "Yesss!!! Let that sink in... she has already been in jail for A Month!! Release @Tweet2Rhea #rheachakroborty n all those who were baying for her blood.. reflect. Ponder. And at least Now come forward n support...

By Arundhuti Banerjee

Mumbai, July 12 (Ians) Be it Onir films such as "My Brother Nikhil", "Bas Ek Pal", and "I Am", or Sujoy Ghosh's upcoming web series "Typewriter", it is interesting to note how actor Purab Kohli has delivered some of his finest performances in collaboration with Bengali filmmakers. The actor says, without being biased, he believes that Bengalis have always been among the finest storytellers.

"There is no denial of the fact that although there are so many great filmmakers and writers in the country, Bengalis are known for their art, culture and storytelling. Although I have not watched a lot of Bengali films, I have many Bengali friends. All of them are very artistic. Their storytelling really fascinates me," Purab told Ians.

"I have always enjoyed Onir's writing, and Sujoy's work has always fascinated me. So whenever I collaborate with them, magic happens," added the actor.

Purab...

As many as 1,854 feature films were submitted to be part of the 2019 Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival from across the world this year. As many as 39 nations are represented as production or co-production countries. India is missing.

Filmmaker Onir rightly questioned: "What are we supposed to celebrate about Cannes 2019... The cinema that's being celebrated or just the clothes our actors wear and the parties they attend. Somehow that is all that seems to be talked about."

Barring the overwhelming red carpet or party looks of Bollywood actresses making a splash on social media, an India Pavilion, organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Ficci, is doing its bit to forge international partnerships in distribution, production, pitch India as a shooting destination and promoting film sales and syndication.

India may be one of the largest film producers in the world, but no film from the country made it in the competition categories.