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What’s your take on the existing contemporary cinema around queer representations?
My biggest problem with the existing representation of queer identities is that it is being made by people who are not a part of the queer community and they are only making these films because after the Section 377 verdict, there has been an increase in the queer narratives and queer subjects. It will never be as powerful as queer people making a queer narrative. When it comes to bringing forward something which you have lived all your life, to be able to do justice to that, you cannot do justice to it by doing research. When a queer person makes a film on a queer community, it comes from relai-life experiences. That is where I feel the problem really lies. We don’t really have enough queer representation behind the camera and that really needs to change.
Bollywood celebrities are coming out actively and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community in films and otherwise. Do you think it is enough?
It is not enough and it is never going to be enough. The decades of damage that has been done to the queer community by problematic stereotypical identities have been brought forward by reducing the queer character to a caricature. I went to school in the 90s and was bullied and harassed for what I was. That damage still continues. Homophobia exists today so largely in India, Bollywood has a big hand to play in it. There is no denying this. In order to repair the damage, we need more and more support, more queer films, and more queer visibility in the media. It is never going to be enough unless we can say that a queer person in India holds equal rights, opportunities and equal socio-political prestige, the way a non-queer person does. Then we can say maybe we have done our best. Unless that, we are no way close to enough.
The growing emergence of OTT has been a boon to many filmmakers, actors and even technicians. Do you think it will give opportunities to filmmakers to narrate stories related to the communities?
I think this is a problematic understanding. People think now there is OTT so I should now start making films for OTT platforms. Why can’t I make queer films for theatres? Why can’t I make queer films for the regular audience? Why should I limit my stories to just OTT? People think OTT is a platform for niche content and adult narratives. Sorry to burst the bubble but queer content is not ‘adult’. Queer people exist and there is nothing adult about it. If I am making a queer feature film, I want it to have a normal theatrical release. Asking people to keep it limited to OTT is also homophobia. This needs to be addressed. OTT has opened up opportunities for different narratives and all of that is really cool. But we should not look at it with a set mindset. One should feel free to make a film for OTT and also release it in theatres. That is what inclusion is all about.
What lured you into the business of filmmaking?
There were two things that really lured me into filmmaking. One was underrepresentation and the second was a misrepresentation. Growing up in India as a queer, brown Muslim, the challenges that I saw and the representation that I saw in cinemas was absolutely insulting to so many identities, not only queer but also to my Muslim identity. I wanted to bring a progressive change and take away regressive stereotypes. I wanted to change that narrative in cinema and bring forward stories that are authentic, one that does not come from a place of mockery but from a place of love and understanding. That is why I wanted to be a storyteller, to be honest.
An actor and an actress that you absolutely adore from Bollywood…
I enjoy watching Ranbir Kapoor very much. He is a fantastic actor. I would love to work with him someday. From the actresses, I love Alia Bhatt from the current generation. She is a phenomenal actress. I also respect and look up to Shabana Azmi ji, I am waiting to work with her again after ‘Sheer Qorma’.
Were you a movie buff during your childhood days? Who did you idolise growing up?
I was a huge fan of Yash Chopra ji. I grew up watching a lot of his films because my mom was a huge fan. Growing up I watched ‘Silsila’, ‘Kabhi Kabhi’, ‘Lamhe’ and several others. I remember I was in school when ‘Dil Toh Pagal Hai’ released and I fought with my mom to watch the movie on the first day, first show. Since it released on a Friday, I bunked school to watch the movie, I was that crazy for his films. I even loved Sooraj Barjatya’s movies. ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun…!’ released in 1994 and I must have gone to the theatres more than 20 times.
Internationally, I was a huge fan of Steven Spielberg. I must have seen ‘Jurassic Park’ more than 15-20 times. My dad used to travel overseas for work and he would get me cassettes of Charlie Chaplin’s films. All this in a way pushed me to become a filmmaker.
In a career spanning over more than a decade, right from your first silent queer film, ‘Sisak’ to ‘Sheer Qorma’, you have come a long way. How do you look back at your journey so far?
I think the journey has been a learning experience. When I started out, I had big dreams of making the kind of films that I wanted to make. I focussed on mainstream films and open conversations. Almost a decade later, I am making the films I wanted to make. I am trying to change the narratives in the mainstream. I am proud that I have been able to work with some wonderful actors and producers who have helped me bring my vision to life. Filmmaking is truly a team effort. It has also been a rollercoaster ride, there is no denying that. But it has been fun and I really look forward to the next decade that is coming up.
Any recent film or series that you watched on OTT which you absolutely loved?
I am watching this amazing series called, ‘Why Women Kill’ season 2. It features my actor friend Allison Tolman. It is absolutely fantastic. The series is a comedy murder mystery. I am so enamored by its beautiful writing and fabulous performances. To combine two different genres – comedy and murder mystery, is indeed a feat.
Apart from filmmaking, what more do you wish to explore?
I love fashion and dressing up. So in March 2021, I launched my sustainable, artisanal fashion brand. I want to make wonderful artisanal luxe fashion accessible to a lot of people. India has such wonderful artisans and they make such good products. My brand is all about collaborating with these artisans.
The other thing that I want to do is find a sustainable farm that also has an animal shelter. I have been working very strongly for animal rights in India. I have two babies and both of them have adopted cats at home. This made me aware that animal rights in India are far away from being anywhere close to where they should be. I want to create shelters for stray dogs and abandoned animals.
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