Mira Nair speaks at KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival panel

Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair on Tuesday participated in a panel discussion titled ‘Books To Screen – Lost & Found in Translation’, organised as part of the 12th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, one of the biggest LGBTQIA+ film festivals in South Asia. The panel was streamed on the KASHISH YouTube channel on 24 August.

Also featuring renowned Swedish author and filmmaker Jonas Gardell (Don't Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves), Sahitya Akademi winning playwright Mahesh Dattani (Mango Souffle, Morning Raga) and transgender actor and author Living Smile Vidya (I Am Vidya), the panel discussed how books are adapted into feature films or streaming shows. Author Raga D’Silva (Untold Lies) moderated the panel.

“While the pandemic put the brakes on KASHISH being held on-ground physically at a theatre in Mumbai, the benefits of a digital festival has opened new doors”, festival director Sridhar Rangayan had said.

“We are blessed to have such eminent personalities such as filmmaker Mira Nair and author and director Jonas Gardell speak at our panels. Virtual is the new normal,” he added.

Speaking about her mini-series A Suitable Boy (2020), which is based on author Vikram Seth’s epic novel of the same name, Mira Nair said, “I think Vikram Seth deeply understands and wrote in A Suitable Boy, the depth of this unconditional love, friendship between Maan (Ishaan Khattar) and Firoz (Shubham Saraf). For me, it encompassed all kinds of love.

KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is screening 221 films from 53 countries over the 12 days of online screenings spread across three weekends. In addition to that, it will stream10 panel discussions and 42 filmmaker Q&As on their official YouTube channel.

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