Kashish MIQFF: Taking gay issues to India's mainstream

Right now seems to be a great time to be here and queer in India. As the Catholic Church in the Vatican grapples with the issue of homosexuality, a historic decision in the Delhi High Court last July finally decriminalized homosexuality (a reversal of a 149-year-old colonial-era law) in India -- a gigantic (albeit belated) step forward not just for India’s LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) population, but for the country’s social evolution as a whole. The Indian Election Commission has even finally recognized “transgender” as a separate category. While same-sex marriage is still a distant dream, the nationwide sprouting of queer activist groups, social networking communities, LGBT publications, gay pride marches and even a queer-friendly store in Mumbai have done wonders in giving the silently oppressed LGBT community increased visibility and a voice, helping to bring this marginalised minority closer to the mainstream. 

The rise of queer film festivals adds a colorful feather to the LGBT cap. In February, Bangalore saw the three-day Bangalore Queer Film Festival, and earlier this month, the Queer Nazariya festival took place over a long weekend in Mumbai. The latest to join the ranks is Kashish, the Mumbai International Queer Film Festival (MIQFF) being held from April 22-25, to celebrate Indian and international films addressing sexuality and sexual diversity.

Taking queer issues mainstream

“We’re very happy that Kashish is turning out to be India’s biggest queer film festival, with 110 films from 25 different countries,” says Sridhar Rangayan, one of the two festival directors, one of India’s earliest 'out' gay men, a front-rank leader of the LGBT movement in India and an award-winning filmmaker, “because we’re looking to address queer issues not only to queer audiences but to the mainstream community as well.” 

“It’s taken us twenty years to work at the idea that 'gayness' is not just a Western construct, and that there are gay people in India,” says Sridhar. “Through MIQFF, we’re showcasing Indian queer sensibilities, as well as creating a forum to examine similarities and differences in Indian and international queer identity.” He explains that the Urdu word kashish means “allurement” or “attraction”, which has a deeper meaning beyond its obvious implication: unlike many Urdu words, this one doesn’t have a gender, making it an ideal name for an event celebrating blurred gender roles. “The term also applies to non-sexual attractions: to an object, a concept, cinema, or art.” 

It's not all about the sex

It’s tempting to think of a film festival about sexualities as a voyeuristic excuse to watch movies about (and with an abundance of) sex. But while there are bound to be a fair few steamy scenes in many of the selected films, MIQFF’s focus this year is, in fact, on a threefold concept of family: being queer in a straight family (for example, coming out to your family, or discovering that an old aunt happens to be gay), building alternate 'families' within the queer community to support you, and challenges faced by queer couples wanting to raise children. 

One film that addresses this last issue to look out for at MIQFF is “Patrik 1,5”, a Swedish drama about a gay couple that files for the adoption of a 1.5-year-old child, but, through a small typographical error, end up with a 15-year-old homophobic boy. Both are thoroughly confused, and the film resolves in a poignant, heart-warming finish. 

"Patrik 1,5" (2008) is about a gay couple who mistakenly adopt a homophobic teenager.

Other picks include “Suddenly, Last Winter”, a film made by an Italian gay couple that addresses issues of the Catholic Church and homosexuality, and “Emerging Voices”, a package of Indian student films (representing Whistling Woods, National Institute of Design, Sophia Polytech and Shrishti College of Design) that gives a student’s point-of-view of the issues facing young queer folk in India today.

"Suddenly, Last Winter" (2008) explores public attitudes to homosexuality and family in Italy.

It's not all about the movies either

Apart from the impressive list of feature films, documentaries, shorts and experimental films from various countries, MIQFF will also play host to other events, including photo exhibitions, panel discussions about queer culture in India, a film competition across four categories and a first-time reading of the translation in Hindi of the Marathi play “Ek Madhobag” by the late Chetan Dattar -- along with, of course, the opportunity for queer and non-queer folk to gather as a community in a safe space. 

Using a film festival as a means to address the sensitive issue of alternate sexuality works well. While watching a film alone in your bedroom can be secretive and isolated, gathering together to watch a queer film is a collective emotional experience while still being safe, comfortingly anonymous, and -- why not -- often romantic, too. 

What’s it like to organize a first-time queer festival? Sridhar is positive, upbeat and energetic, with an infectious enthusiasm that’s hard to resist: “Every first-time event has teething issues, of course,” he says. “But everyone along the way has been incredibly supportive, open and cooperative in Mumbai and in India. For every challenge faced, I ask: How do I use affection and love to make this work?” 

Here are some other highlights of the Kashish MIQFF:

"The World Unseen" (2007) looks at lesbian love during South Africa's apartheid era.

"Boy Meets Boy" (2008), a dialog-less movie about young gay love in South Korea.

"The Baby Formula" (2008) takes a humorous look at two women and their experiments to get pregnant.

Kashish -- Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2010 takes place from April 22-25. All attendees must be registered delegates and over 18 years of age. Venues and a nominal cost of attending the festival will be announced on the MIQFF blog and website. For updates and information, join the Facebook group or subscribe to the Twitter feed.