Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, featuring 147 films from 45 countries, will take place from May 24-28.
“While I'm proud that we at Godrej have created a culture where our LGBTQI colleagues can be comfortable being 'out' at work, corporates rarely do anything without a selfish reason and we at Godrej have decided to be LGBTQI-inclusive too with a selfish reason,” Nisaba Godrej, director, GCPL and daughter of group chairman Adi Godrej said in candour while speaking at the power-packed inauguration of the 8th edition of Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival (KMIQFF) on Wednesday evening.
Godrej is supporting the festival this year. “We want nothing but the best talent to work for us and realised long back that that can happen only if we go beyond the discriminating barriers of caste, class, gender and sexuality,” she said amid much applause from the packed art-deco heritage Liberty theatre. “If you see us around at the festival and are interested in finding employment in a more LGBTQI-friendly organisation, give us your resumes,” she added and hoped, “the government decriminalises homosexuality.”
Actor Arjun Kapoor who was present at the inauguration admitted to being overwhelmed with happiness at being there. “I had worked on a full formal speech for the occasion but have forgotten it in excitement,” he said and added, “At the end of the day what matters most in life is happiness, not what society think about us. It is amazing to see how the LGBTQI community here, don't give a damn about society and lead their life with so much love and happiness.” Expressing his best wishes for KMIQFF he further said: “My mother taught me not to judge people and 'live and let live' is the most important part of life. It is the fundamental truth about life. Cinema is an art form to express and today all you people are present here for this festival underlines how this whole initiative is an art of expression.”
Though he apologised for arriving late and interrupting the on-going comedy gig, he left soon after he spoke without even waiting to unveil the festival catalogue along with other guests at the opening of the festival, as originally planned. Many voices in the audience contrasted this with his cousin and more popular actor Sonam Kapoor who graced the inaugural last year and sat through the evening.
That did nothing to take away from the high-octane evening graced by celebrity stylist writer-actor Fawzia Mirza (whose film Signature Move opened the festival), Adhuna Bhawani, filmmaker Sonali Bose, columnist-activist Dolly Thakore, filmmaker Aruna Raje, cinephile journalists Aseem Chhabra and Meenakshi Shedde, senior activists like Ashok Row Kavi and Roy Wadia who pioneered the gay rights movement in India among many others along with the festival director Sridhar Rangayan were present along with several others at the inauguration of the four-day festival which will screen 147 movies from 45 countries across the world, celebrating the LGBTQI community.
The opening ceremony hosted by popular radio jockey Malishka and performer-activist Sushant Divgikar in drag saw an Odissi classical dance performance by Ankur Ballal and his differently abled troupe. This was followed by a comedy gig by Nick Pillow and Navin Noronha, a scorching dance routine by the High Heel Hotties. In the end, Divgikar changed out of his drag outfit and came back to take the stage belting out popular numbers which saw the audience up on their feet, dancing.
The theme for this KMIQFF edition is 'Diverse, One', and the 'country in focus' is Britain. While Signature Move, the American film directed by Jennifer Reeder starring Shabana Azmi opened the festival, it will close with the acclaimed Indian gay romance LOEV directed by Sudhanshu Saria and starring Shiv Pandit and Siddarth Menon in lead roles. Of the 147, 51 films will feature in the competition categories and compete for top awards that a total cash prize of Rs 2.25 lakh. These awards are sponsored by Anupam Kher's Actor Prepares, K F Patil Charitable Trust, Whistling Woods International and Wadia Movietone.
Founded in 2010, KMIQFF will be held at twin venues: Liberty Cinema and Alliance Francaise in South Mumbai. It is the first Indian LGBT festival to be held with approval by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry, Government of India.
Voted among the top five LGBTQI film festivals in the world, it is the only LGBTQI festival in India held in a mainstream theatre.
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 "Kashish International Queer Film Festival, adi godrej, anupam kher, arjun kapoor, aruna raje, ashok row kavi, dolly thakore, faw")
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