Addressing queer storylines has become a very common plot when it comes to Indian Cinema. Slowly but steadily the audience is embracing these interesting storylines and films are winning accolades for their brilliant and sensitive portrayal of the same.
Recently, one of the short films that have managed to strike a chord with the audience is Sheer Qorma which features powerhouse talents such as Shabana Azmi, Divya Dutta, and Swara Bhaskar. This Indian short drama addresses LGBTQ romance and has already won accolades for its picturization.
Divya Dutta shared her feelings on winning big for the film, “I am so honoured to have won Best Actor, Rainbow Voices Award at KASHISH 2022 for Sheer Qorma — a film that is always going to be very, very close to my heart. I am thankful to Faraz for writing my character Saira with such nuance and directing the film with such integrity, love and honesty. Very grateful to Marijke to have produced the film with so much love. I know that Sheer Qorma will be a landmark for Indian cinema for generations to come. Thank you to Sridhar & the team at Kashish for celebrating our film.”
Swara Bhaskar too was elated with the recognition and went on to add, “I’m obviously honoured but also extremely gratified to win Best Actor, Rainbow Voices at Kashish. I feel a recognition at Kashish, is a recognition by family. I always told Faraz that this film is blessed with a higher purpose, literally to make people / well naysayers realise & allies affirm that love is not a sin. This award is a shot in the arm for us & I’m grateful to Sridhar, the jury at Kashish and always to Faraz & Marijke for giving me a bite of this delectable heartwarming sheer Qorma they cooked up!”
Producer Marijke DSouza who won the Best Producer Award, shared, “I am honoured to have won Best Producer, Rainbow Voices Award at Kashish 2022 for our film, Sheer Qorma. I decided to make Sheer Qorma to open a larger conversation around acceptance and love in mainstream cinema, not just in South Asian communities but also globally. Sheer Qorma celebrates love in all forms and we are very grateful to see our film garnering so much love and accolades worldwide. Thank you to Sridhar Rangayan and the Kashish team for honouring our film.”
The director, Faraz Arif Ansari, too was overwhelmed with such a positive response from viewers and concluded by saying, “To win Best Director, Rainbow Voices award for Sheer Qorma and mainstreaming queer narratives in cinema — such an honour, really! Sheer Qorma really celebrates and honours so many minorities and I am very grateful to have got this opportunity to bring this story to life. The film continues to win awards across the globe but to win something back home, in India and that too at South Asia’s Largest Queer Film Festival — wow! It’s truly such a humbling experience! Miles to go, so much more to make because we got to make love win, over and over and over again. Thank you, Sridhar Rangayan and the entire Kashish team for this honour!”