'Badhaai Do' screened at KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival
Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar starrer Badhaai Do (2022) continues to rule hearts even four months after its release. To commemorate the ongoing Pride Month, the LGBTQ+ Hindi drama was screened at the prestigious KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival recently. The event was attended by Rao, actor Chum Darang, director Harshavardhan Kulkarni, and Junglee Pictures CEO Amrita Pandey, among others.
Why does this story matter?
Released theatrically in February 2022—when most Indian states allowed 50% occupancy at theaters—Badhaai Do opened to critical acclaim for its heartfelt portrayal of homosexual relationships. It brought to light the concept of lavender marriages, where two queer people live together to shield their sexual identities from their families. It is a spiritual sequel to Ayushmann Khurrana's Badhaai Ho (2018), also backed by Junglee Pictures.
KASHISH is biggest LGBTQIA+ South Asian film festival
Talking about the screening, the film's director Kulkarni said, "It is an honor and a privilege to be able to screen our film... We are humbled that the film has been accepted with so much love and is being screened on this wonderful platform in the 'month of pride.'" Notably, KASHISH has the remarkable distinction of being the biggest LGBTQIA+ South Asian film festival.
The film received a standing ovation
Grateful that audiences resonated well with our film: Rao
The screening took place at Liberty Cinema, Mumbai. Rao—who was interestingly also seen in another LGBTQ+ drama Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga—thanked the moviegoers. He said, "I am grateful that the audiences resonated so well with our film." "The Pride Month is here...celebrating it at a platform like Kashish with a film that's so close to me is truly heartwarming," he added.
First queer film festival approved by Indian government
Besides Badhaai Do, more than 190 other films were chosen to be screened at KASHISH between June 1 and 5. Notably, KASHISH was founded in 2010 and is the first queer festival approved by the Information & Broadcasting Ministry. Its reach and popularity are tremendous and it was also voted as one of the top five LGBT film festivals globally.
The film festival has a stellar lineup
The festival is offering cinematic pieces from across 53 nations and has an intriguing catalog on offer. This includes Faraz Arif Ansari's Sheer Qorma, which focuses on queer Muslim women and non-binary people of color. Nefise Ozkal Lorentzen's Seyran Ates: Sex, Revolution and Islam is another popular film that is centered around Seyran Ates, a Turkish-German lawyer who spearheads a sexual revolution in Islam.
