How did this concept to make a queer movie within the Kashmir setting come to you?The rationale for making this movie was partly impressed by an actual story. And I really feel that, as an out-and-proud queer individual, and that too for too lengthy – half the neighborhood remained invisible in numerous components of the world and continues to be invisible. That’s due to acceptance and different causes, be it faith, occupation and cultural causes. I have been going to Kashmir for a few years. I’ve realized that there is been no dialogue concerning the queer neighborhood other than some when it comes to trans illustration and trans visibility. However the remainder of the neighborhood have remained invisible and there is no dialogue there. I felt that I wished to discover this movie, which can also be a sequel to I Am. In I Am, one of many sections was I Am Megha, which was in Kashmir. It is a sequel to it known as We Are Faheem & Karun. I assumed that that is the Kashmir story. I wished to do it about sexuality as a result of it is between two folks. One is working as a safety guard who’s invisible due to his occupation and the opposite, due to his faith. That’s what impressed me.
How welcoming was the neighborhood there in Kashmir when you have been filming it?
It was all filmed in Kashmir. The language is Kashmiri and in addition all of the Kashmiri characters are performed by Kashmiri actors. That is why I time period it as possibly one of many first Kashmiri queer characteristic movies. The factor is, my complete crew, be it the Kashmiri crew or those who got here from Mumbai, everybody was conscious of what the story is. Nobody was hiding. The place the place I shot it was a spot known as Gurez, which I had visited at the very least eight instances earlier than taking pictures. So it wasn’t that I simply landed and began taking pictures. So folks know me for who I’m – as a pal, a filmmaker, and somebody who occurs to be queer. They have been conscious of the story. I really feel that when you may have handled folks with love, respect and kindness, they offer it again to you. So I did not have any drawback in any respect from the locals for this story. All of them now, once I get the award or I am touring to any movie competition, share the poster and the photographs of the movie and congratulate me. So there isn’t any disgrace in them. And for me, that’s extraordinarily gratifying. That’s acceptance in an enormous method.
How has the response been at movie festivals?
For me, the primary worldwide screening was at BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Movie Competition, which is likely one of the largest queer movie festivals. Inside the first two days, each the reveals have been completely offered out. It was actually overwhelming. Now once I went to the UK Asian Movie Competition, which was in London, Leicester and Coventry, I obtained an unbelievable response. There’s loads of love that I discovered from the viewers. There was loads of white viewers. Initially, I used to be pondering that the South Asians are going to return. However really, there have been extra whites. What was attention-grabbing is, like one among them, I keep in mind this gentleman who was there advised me that it’s already so refreshing to see a movie which isn’t an overdose of intercourse. It is also at a time like this the place the world is so drenched in hate and violence that your movie is speaking about love, acceptance and peace. Total, it has been very thrilling.
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We’ve heard concerning the film’s invitation to FRAMELINE…
I received the message at present that the film has been invited to FRAMELINE in San Francisco, which is the world’s oldest and largest queer movie competition. That is their forty ninth 12 months. Okay. And once they made the announcement, additionally they talked about that I used to be there precisely 20 years in the past with My Brother…Nikhil. So for me, it means so much. Lots of people who’ve watched the movie, be it in India or abroad, have come as much as me and mentioned that that is my greatest work. I felt good, as a result of I used to be uninterested in listening to that my greatest work is My Brother…Nikhil. I assumed I wasn’t rising. It has been a satisfying journey. I am wanting ahead to taking part in in San Francisco. It is also received chosen in Tokyo. I am additionally wanting ahead to our subsequent and solely screening in India earlier than launch. It’s at Kashish on June 7. After that, I do not wish to do screenings till it releases.
As a queer filmmaker, how straightforward or troublesome is it to carry forth these tales to the viewers?20 years in the past, I did it independently. Individuals who believed then proceed to take action now. Which simply reveals that society has modified ever since 2018. However nonetheless, I really feel that the business at giant, be it the studios, platforms or actors, are silently proof against queer tales and are very silently homophobic as a result of we actually suppose we are the world’s largest filmmaking nation, proper? Inform me, what number of queer movies have you ever seen coming from India this 12 months? Hardly. Secondly, a lot of the movies with mainstream presence are from a really heteronormative perspective. It’s totally populist. The queer neighborhood is all the time filled with gratitude that somebody’s talking about us. I really feel for me, it is a fixed battle as a result of my tales should not populist when it comes to the fashion. They’re tales which might be essential to be advised. I additionally really feel essential as a member of the queer neighborhood to succeed in out. I stay up for the day when possibly the studios, actors and the whole environment would take a look at a queer movie additionally as simply one other movie, which is an efficient story, which must be made and seen. Suppose, if I will watch Sitaare Zameen Par or any movie that is popping out proper now, I do not suppose I am watching a heterosexual movie. I do not give it some thought as soon as, be it on OTT. However why are my tales all the time put in that bracket by the heteronormative world? I really feel that the push must be from them to begin changing into extra inclusive, simply not when it comes to tick marks. So long as we do tick marks, our movies will all the time stay as their tales. For me, any movie I watch is as a lot mine and I want the remainder of the society would make me as a lot theirs.
May you please speak to me concerning the actors within the film?
The title of the movie is We Are Faheem & Karun. Mir Tauseef performed Faheem. It is his first characteristic movie. I auditioned almost 35 Kashmiri actors. I used to be very glad that so many individuals have been prepared to audition for a queer position as a result of I did not conceal that from anybody. Some folks, once they learnt that there’s going to be a bit of quantity of intimacy, they weren’t snug. However I advised everybody that, even Mir Tauseef, after the audition to ask his household. He mentioned one thing very lovely. He mentioned, ‘If I’ve to make a mark as an actor – I do know that if I do that movie, will probably be a movie that is watched. Will probably be a movie that will probably be talked about. And at the very least I’ve a chance, being an outsider, to make a mark on this business.’ I assumed it was such a good looking method of it. Even the actor who performs his mom Sana, is a Kashmiri actress. It was actually troublesome to solid somebody for that half. I might solely get somebody from Jammu. I spotted that I often keep in her homestay in Srinagar. The girl of the homestay has an unbelievable character. So I known as her up. And she or he mentioned she did some faculty performs when she was within the twelfth commonplace. However she wished to strive. So I despatched Mir Tauseef, who was in Srinagar to do a scene together with her. I requested him to spend two days together with her first after which check her. She has two sons of the identical age and he or she was so pure and assured. After that, we did loads of workshops with all of them. Equally, as his brother additionally, I solid a Kashmiri actor known as Mir Salman. It is their first Hindi characteristic movie that they are doing. The man who performs Karun is a Malayali actor known as Akshay Menon. He has completed a couple of brief movies earlier than doing my characteristic movie. I had shortlisted a couple of actors from Kerala. After I lastly did an audition with the 2 guys, I wished to see the chemistry. The chemistry comes throughout naturally. That’s one thing I spotted that each competition I will and even the critiques that come out of festivals, all of them discover the gentleness and the chemistry. They discover the romance.
What would you like the viewers to remove from We Are Faheem & Karun?
I would like the final viewers to observe a really distinctive story. It is set in Kashmir on the border space. It is about two people who find themselves invisible. As a society, how troublesome is it to only have a good time another person’s love? Is it such a troublesome factor to cherish a delicate love story? Sure, the movie is between two queer characters. However this sort of non-acceptance occurs when it is between folks of two totally different religions. The movie is speaking about celebrating another person’s happiness with out being judgmental.
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