Teacher turns author to keep Gujarati alive for future generations
Growing up in a multicultural, multiethnic, and multilingual London has been a key factor in shaping my identity. I am British – born and bred. A true Londoner. And I am as Indian as they come. My childhood was an Indian one, from the food, the language, the weekend activities, to the way I interact with people; my experiences have...
Cary Rajinder Sawhney continues to champion the power of cinema to help BAME/LGBTQ communities
When there are problems with the world there are those who muddle through and then there are those who feel driven to change things for the better. Cary Rajinder Sawhney MBE is currently busy with the latest editions of two unique film festivals in London this month which aim to improve life for both the BAME and LGBTQ communities. Cary is the...
KASHISH 2021: Swingin’ celebrates coming of age in the glow of Taiwan legalising same-sex marriage
SWINGIN' Dir: Shang-Sing Guo 23 min | 2020 | Taiwan | Chinese Screening on September 5 - Program 1 in the Short Film Package - SMILES AND SUNSHINE Swingin' is the first dramedy/music film of its kind since Taiwan became the first and the only country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. So when sixth-grader boy Qiu is bullied in school for having gay...
Edinburgh’s community spirit is back with a bang for Dusherra 2021
Social distancing, wearing masks, sanitizing hands seemed to be a distant past as Edinburgh residents prepared for the Dusherra event this weekend - 17th Oct 2021. Although, I don’t mean literally. Track and Trace was very much evident at the venue and the sides of the marquee were kept open for more than 50% so that enough ventilation was...
KASHISH 2020: Ram Kamal Mukherjee’s Season Greetings pays homage to Rituparno, LGBTQ+ themes
For cinema connoisseurs and Rituparno fans, journalist-turned director Ram Kamal Mukherjee's Season's Greetings was a delightful 45-minutes tribute to the celebrated filmmaker with subtle references from Ghosh's films overlapping at various moments, making it an intense watch, for the first time, on Zee5, earlier this year. You can now catch the movie on 26th July 5pm Indian time as part...
KASHISH 2023: special presentation of Maja Ma featuring cast and crew Q&A
Madhuri Dixit-starrer Maja Ma, directed by Anand Tiwari will be screened as a special presentation at the 14th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, South Asia's biggest LGBTQ+ film festival which will be held June 7-11, 2023 at Liberty Cinema, and June 8 - 10, 2023 at Alliance Française de Bombay; and also online from June 16-25,...
Tales from the lockdown
From the minds of Samar and Ashish Hingorani come a collection of stories that follow three characters adapting to the new "normal" in these days of coronavirus. The illustrations are by Lakshmi Hingorani. Enjoy. NOTE: the controls to move back and forth through the pages are at the bottom of each page.
Love poems
Touch me with your fingers When you done with the mobile Look at me completely When your emails are done Talk to me When your Whatsapp chats are done Smile at me When you done with smileys Hug me in reality When photo session for insta is done Check me out Instead of checking us on FB I see you falling in love with me ...
Imaginative animation sensitively shares LGBTQ issues in KASHISH 2020’s QToons programme
Cartoons have had a long history, predating cinematography. Little flip books were around before the movies arrived. There have been the powerhouses of Disney and Warner Brothers who brought us Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny, right through to the modern computer generated animations of Pixar and others. Magical The magic, and core power, of animation is that it allows the director...
From the Ghats to the coasts: a unique collection of Marathi films and filmmakers to shine in LIFF 2019
The 10th Edition of the London Indian Film Festival (LIFF) has some very special programming lined up with regional films. This year, the Marathi bouquet is strong with films by Marathi filmmakers and subjects based out of Maharashtra taking the centre stage. All screenings will be followed by Q&A opportunities with special guests, allowing better understanding of the film,...
