'Rainbow Rishta' nominated at 35th GLAAD Media Awards

Rainbow Rishta, an unscripted docuseries that explores the theme of queer love, has earned a nomination in the outstanding documentary category at the 35th annual GLAAD Media Awards.

Organised by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the awards recognise and honour media for their fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community and the issues that affect their lives.

Rainbow Rishta, which is streaming on Prime Video", is directed by Jaydeep Sarkar, Hridaye A. Nagpal, and Shubhra Chatterji. It is written by Monisha Thyagarajan, Navin Noronha, and Sneha Nair.

According to a press release, the six-part series is the first Indian unscripted series on queer love to be acknowledged by GLAAD.

In the outstanding documentary category, Rainbow Rishta will compete with nine other titles, including Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later, Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate, Every Body, Kokomo City, Little Richard: I Am Everything, and Orlando, My Political Biography.

Aparna Purohit, head of Originals, India and Southeast Asia, Prime Video, described the show as a celebration of love in its myriad forms.

"It's a moment of true pride and honor for us to be nominated at the 35th edition of the prestigious GLAAD Media Awards and we express our gratitude to our creators for delivering this authentic representation, and a heartfelt appreciation to our cast for graciously allowing us into their lives," Purohit said in a statement.

Sarkar said Rainbow Rishta securing a nomination at the GLAAD Media Awards is "a matter of great pride for me and the entire team".

"Through an unbiased lens, we tried to give authentic queer stories about love, freedom, triumphs, and choices a place in the mainstream. 'Rainbow Rishta' aims to put personhood and humanity before labels, as it navigates the path of self-acceptance, extending from within to friends, family, and society," the co-director said.

Backed by VICE Studios Production, Rainbow Rishta features stories from different parts of the country and showcases the real-life experiences of Trinetra Haldar, Aishwarya Ayushmaan, Daniella Mendonca, Aneez Saikia, Sanam Choudhary, Soham Sengupta, Suresh Ramdas, and Sadam Hanjabam.

"The docuseries being nominated for Outstanding Documentary at the 35th GLAAD Media Awards, is truly a testament to the heart and soul that everyone who worked on it brought to this show and something we are truly proud of at VICE Studios," added Samira Kanwar of VICE Studios.

The awards ceremonies will take place in Los Angeles on March 14 and in New York City on May 11.