Showing posts with label Faraz Arif Ansari. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faraz Arif Ansari. Show all posts
Zeenat Aman to return to silver screen with Bun Tikki, co-starring Shabana Azmi, Abhay Deol
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Last seen in Panipat, Zeenat Aman to return to films with Bun Tikki; 71-year-old actor to be joined by Shabana and Abhay in the drama
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; July 24, 2023)
It has only been five months since she joined Instagram, but Zeenat Aman is already a social media darling. Her throwback posts and reflections on her years in the industry are authentic and a welcome change from the cookie-cutter posts on the gram. Now, there’s good news for those who want to see more of the 71-year-old actor. Aman, who was last seen in a cameo in Panipat (2019), is returning to the screen with Faraz Arif Ansari’s next, Bun Tikki.
For his first feature film after the acclaimed short, Sheer Qorma (2021), the writer-director has rounded up an impressive cast—Aman, Shabana Azmi and Abhay Deol. The movie, centred on a father and his pre-teen son, explores gender identity.
A source from the creative team reveals, “Though Bun Tikki revolves around Abhay and his on-screen son, Shabana and Zeenat form the film’s backbone. Casting for the child is underway. When Faraz approached Zeenat, she loved the script. She always knew that if she made a comeback, it would be with a story that aligned with her ideas and beliefs. Bun Tikki was just that. She told Faraz that she had to be a part of this film as it explores many causes that she feels strongly about.”
The project marks couturier Manish Malhotra’s foray into production, as he launches his banner Stage 5 with three movies. “The film is far removed from the glamorous image that Manish has. But the subject resonated with him. Through his productions, he wants to support lesser-heard stories and voices.”
I want queer characters to be treated like regular characters, say acclaimed storytellers from the LGBTQIA+ community
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Syeda Eba Fatima (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 19, 2023(
APURVA ASRANI
Filmmaker Apurva Asrani, who wrote the story and dialogue for Aligarh (2015), says, “I want the othering to stop. I want queer characters to be treated like regular characters in the films so that people can identify with them and that’s what I am trying to do.”
He’s glad to see so many projects being made with queer characters, but is quick to point out that even now, a lot of homophobic people want to slot you a certain way. “I’m pitching ideas to a lot of platforms and production houses. But the moment I try and convey that we are done with tragic stories, they begin to send notes [such as on the lines of] ‘Can you add more conversion therapy?’ That narrative needs to change,” he explains.
SUDHANSHU SARIA
The Loev (2015) director, who recently saw the premiere of his latest project TAPS, another queer short, at Kashish Film Festival, says: “Good, bad, beautiful, ugly, heroic or flawed — I’m just interested in accurate representations of the queer community, and there’s no agenda beyond that.” The filmmaker also points out how despite the few opportunities people get to tell these stories, ”every attempt is a huge win” and that for queer characters to truly become part of mainstream cinema, it is “essential that filmmakers feel connected to queer life and are comfortable representing it”.
FARAZ ARIF ANSARI
The Sisak (2017) director strives to open up larger conversations that are mainstream and yet “intimate, sublime and sensitive”. Talking about their film Sheer Qorma (2021), the filmmaker says, “It does not have anyone standing on the rooftop, holding pride flags and yelling out to the world. It was relevant without being loud and crass.” Ansari adds, “Most narratives (by filmmakers who don’t identify on the queer spectrum) are a result of research and not lived experience, and so they always fall short to bring out authenticity.”
MOZEZ SINGH
His 2022 medical drama Human, headlined by Shefali Shah and Kirti Kulhari, has an underlying story on queer relationships, and Singh wants to continue to depict the “normalcy of the whole LGBTQIA+ experience”. He says, “In stories onscreen, the queer community is often depicted in a completely different narrative. I want to show that we are all same... even queer people are humans.” The director, however, is happy that queer characters have steadily increased in number. “They increasingly have prominent roles in projects, sometimes even the lead. It goes to show that queer characterization is being treated in the mainstream in a normal way,” he notes.
Surekha Sikri called me her ‘humraaz’-Faraz Arif Ansari
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The filmmaker shared a ‘deep friendship’ with the late actor
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 19, 2021)
Filmmaker Faraz Arif Ansari (who uses the pronouns they/them) are devastated by veteran actor Surekha Sikri’s demise.
The two had collaborated on Ansari’s web directorial, Dulha Wanted and got to know each other well on the sets of the series. “She played the daadi in the show, and unlike any other daadi, she played mafia songs and talked about polygamy. I lost my daadi early in my life. So I wanted to recreate that for myself. Surekha ji was my first choice and thankfully she agreed,” they recall and add that they will cherish their “deep friendship”.
The filmmaker reveals that the two shared a love for ittar (a fragrant essential oil). Sikri liked the one Ansari wore so much that she wanted it too, and that’s how their bond strengthened. “It was not a director-actor relationship. She called me her ‘humraaz’ (confidante). I brought her ittar from every part of the world I visited,” reminisces the Sheer Qorma maker and adds that she was bedridden before they started shooting for the short film. “I told her that she needs to rest and not be stubborn to come and shoot. She replied, ‘No, this is your film. I need to be there. Main wheelchair par aaungi’,” shares Ansari.
Eventually, Sikri couldn’t manage to shoot, and the director decided to change the screenplay. “I wrote the role with her in mind. I don’t think anyone else could have done it,” they assert.
The last time Ansari met the late actor, they recall, her body had given up, but her soul was fighting.“We held hands and sat. While I was leaving, she said, ‘Abke bichhde toh shayad khwabon mein milen’,” Ansari breaks down.
To have Divya Dutta and Swara Bhasker as co actors in Sheer Qorma was a bonus-Shabana Azmi
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Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; July 6, 2021)
In a career spanning over four decades, Shabana Azmi has been seen in a wide range of roles, and several of them focused on social issues and were applauded for being brave attempts at bringing taboo subjects onto the big screen. Recently, she featured in the short film Sheer Qorma along with Swara Bhasker and Divya Dutta. The film directed by Faraz Arif Ansari focuses on the relationship of a same-sex couple — played Swara and Divya, and how love is judged in society based on gender and sexuality. The film, which has been screened and appreciated at various film festivals, won Best Short Film Audience Award at the Frameline Fest and has also qualified for the BAFTA this year.
Shabana says, “Divya Dutta, who is a dear friend, spoke to me about the film, and I liked the script. When I met Faraz, I knew I had made the right decision. To have Divya and Swara as co-actors was a bonus. The attitude of the mother I play reflects most of society’s attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community. The film succeeds in making the audience see the protagonists as people who are in love.”
Shabana has previously featured in Deepa Mehta’s film Fire (1996), which focused on two women who form an intimate bond. The actress says, “Fire was made 25 years ago, and although the climate around the LGBTQ+ community has softened, a lot more needs to be done. For me, acceptance of who you consider 'the others' — the other race, religion and nation — is needed. Tolerance is different from acceptance. We are enriched when we accept diversity and stop judging people through prejudiced eyes. I remember watching Wong Kar-wai’s Happy Together (1997), and it was so refreshing to have the two male leads presented normally.”
There are no Indian films about non-binary people, queer women, trans people-Faraz Arif Ansari
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Rishabh Deb (BOMBAY TIMES; June 22, 2021)
When British actor Riz Ahmed recently spoke of misrepresentation of Muslims in Hollywood, it resonated with filmmaker Faraz Arif Ansari, who feels the same about queer representation in Indian cinema. Representation is a word that weighs heavily with the filmmaker, and though he feels that queer representation has become better than before, he says marginalised persons from the community, like lesbians, transgender, non-binary, queer Muslims, rarely find a space in cinema, TV or OTT shows in India. “The stories are mostly about cis gay men, that too not progressive but feeding to the stereotype,” says Faraz, who is doing his bit to change this narrative. His short film Sheer Qorma, starring Shabana Azmi, Swara Bhasker and Divya Dutta has won a lot of praise at various film festivals. The film is a letter of acceptance, love and understanding from a Muslim non-binary queer woman to their mom.
In a Pride Month special interview, Faraz speaks about why a progressive portrayal of queer people is needed more than ever today and why it is time to tell queer stories by queer people and not give that space to anyone else. Read on...
‘INCLUSIVITY IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR’
“The reason why I made Sheer Qorma was because it talks about the underrepresented community in global cinema. There are no Indian films about non-binary people, queer women, trans people. We don’t see them as protagonists. The representation of the underrepresented is something that I am very keen on as a filmmaker. Be it my trans, non-binary or queer Muslim siblings — my films will always have a space for them. I am as much of a Muslim as I am a queer person, and it is non-negotiable. I think that needs to be understood and respected,” says Faraz.
He also adds that steps need to be taken towards inclusivity. “I was reading a tweet of a man from the US that said that every time he watches American TV, he does not see white people in it. To that, someone replied, ‘Now you know what representation means.’ In the US, so many people of colour are getting representation. The Academy Awards have made it mandatory to have representation and nominations — these are the steps towards inclusivity and progressivism. Are we doing this in India? No!”
‘LET US TELL OUR STORIES’
Faraz has been vocal about existing prejudices against non-binary, transgender people and queer Muslims, even within the LGBTQIA+ community. And he feels unless queer people take that space up to tell their stories, nothing will change.
“The reason why I always stress on positive representation is that queer narrative was always put forth by heterosexual people — so, we were shown in scandalous storylines. We need to take those spaces and tell our truth. We rarely see queer characters on Indian TV. Ads or big brands rarely show us in a healthy and happy relationship. And what we see on OTT feeds on the stereotype. It is 2021 — in the US, they are making shows on trans people of colour. What are we doing — we are paying cis-gender actors to play queer roles — and surprisingly, they are not even allies. I feel this also needs to be said — hire queer people, pay queer people and give us our space. We need progressive queer content narrated and represented by queer people,” stresses Faraz, who does the same for his projects.
‘WE ARE GENERATIONS BEHIND WHEN IT COMES TO EQUALITY’
Faraz is happy to see changes such as the new inclusive LGBTQIA+ flag, the Madras High Court ban on medical attempts to cure sexual orientation; changes to school curricula to educate students about queer people. However, he feels that due to prevalent discrimination, queer people are still generations behind when it comes to equality.
“I am genuinely impressed with the Madras High Court judgement — these are basic human rights. We were waiting for this judgement for years. Now, I really want to see it being activated in our society. But we are generations behind when it comes to equality,” he says.
I would love to see transgender actors in films-Shweta Tripathi
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Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 4, 2019)
Bollywood has been at the forefront when it comes to creating awareness regarding a number of issues including social and environmental ones. Actors try their best to spread awareness about relevant subjects in society and get people talking about them. Shweta Tripathi is one of the actors who is doing her bit for society. She will be conducting free acting and empowerment workshops for the transgender and LGBTQIA+ community in Mumbai and Delhi this month.
“As an artiste, I want to explore and meet all kinds of people because when we interact with a variety of people, us actors, get to learn a lot. I love doing workshops for kids and adults because meeting new people gives us new ideas and also a lot of study material to bring in variety at work,” says Shweta.
The workshop, TRANSaction, helmed by Keshav Suri and Faraz Arif Ansari, provides free acting workshops for the Indian transgender community. When asked why she decided to work with the cause, Shweta reveals, “For me, transgenders are not a different set of people. I love and respect Faraz and I like the topics he chooses to make films on, so when he asked me, I just had to do this.”
She also stated that she would “love to see transgender actors in films, since that is something unexplored” and should be done. The actor will be next seen with Vikrant Massey in Cargo, which was screened at a film festival in Mumbai recently and was appreciated by the audience.
Shabana Azmi to play 'Mother India of 21st century' in Sheer Qorma
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Actress plays a pivotal role in a film that features Swara Bhasker and Divya Dutta and tackles the LGBTQ community’s longing for love and acceptance
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 30, 2019)
Mirror has learnt that Shabana Azmi has joined the cast of writer-director Faraz Arif Ansari’s Sheer Qorma, which tackles the LGBTQ community’s struggles for love and acceptance, which begin at home. The film features Swara Bhasker and Divya Dutta as lovers and will see the National Award-winning actress in a pivotal role.Confirming the news, Shabana informs, “I was moved by the script which was recommended to me by Divya. After that, I met Faraz who came across as sincere, honest and deeply committed to the story. The bonus is working with Divya and Swara, so we figured out the dates and I said ‘yes’ to the project. We had the first workshop last week and everything came together organically. I am looking forward to the shoot.” The actress, who plays Divya’s mother in the film, has earlier worked with her in J P Dutta’s Umrao Jaan, and Jayant Gilatar’s Chalk n Duster.
Faraz promises that Shabana’s character will not only resonate with mothers across the world but will also open a universal dialogue on parenthood that he hope will bring a lot of love back into our universe. “Shabana ji’s character is the mother we all deserve—the Mother India of the 21st Century,” asserts the director who starts shooting this week in Mumbai.
He admits that every time he meets her, it feels surreal. “When I was in school, I made a list of actors I wanted to work with and Shabana ji’s name was in the top three. She brings so much life and love to the set. Her jokes, emotional gravitas and determination to make everything beautiful is such a learning for me,” Faraz signs off.
Actors Swara Bhasker and Divya Dutta all set to play queer partners on screen
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Moumita Chakraborty (BOMBAY TIMES; July 5, 2019)
Swara Bhasker and Divya Dutta have been roped in to play romantic partners in the film, Sheer Khurma, directed by Faraz Arif Ansari. Faraz, who also directed India’s first silent LGBTQIA+ film Sisak, describes the movie as “a gentle story, with a backdrop of religion and sexuality.”He tells us, “The idea of Sheer Khurma came to me while I was travelling to various film festivals for the last two years with Sisak. I realised that everyone is talking about gay men or bisexual men, but nobody was really talking about women in the LGBTQIA+ community. There are very few films from the LGBTQIA+ spectrum that talk about women as protagonists. Other than that, nobody is really talking about religion and sexuality, which I think is imperative, given the world we live in. I think religion, by default, becomes a part of our social-political understanding in the world we live in today, and I wanted to make a gentle story, with a backdrop of religion and sexuality.” The film, which also stars Surekha Sikri, traces the journey of a queer woman searching for a sense of belonging, an identity and acceptance from her family.
The director says that it wasn’t easy to get this project rolling. The first stumbling block was finding a producer to finance the subject, as most wanted a film on male LGBTQIA+ protagonists, rather than female. “I was reaching out to a lot of production studios in India, and all of them had one thing to say — ‘We are only looking at films that have a male protagonist’,” he says.
The hypocrisy, says Faraz, isn’t limited to producers alone. Even actors and filmmakers are complicity in Bollywood’s homophobia.
“I know many leading actors in Bollywood, who have a huge amount of reservations when it comes to playing sexuality that is not mainstream. At a time when inclusivity is a desideratum, Bollywood doesn’t want to make LGBTQIA+ films. It is like, they want to be inclusive, but they don’t really want to be inclusive. If they make one, it is for the heck of it,” says Faraz.
When asked why he zeroed in on Swara and Divya as leads, Faraz replies, “Divya and Swara are two celebrated names in the industry and strong allies of the LGBTQIA+ community. In fact, when I started writing the film, I had Divya in my mind, and already saw her playing this role. The day I finished the script, I put up a status on Instagram saying I need someone to play the role, and Divya was actually the first person to call me. Without even reading the script, she said she wanted to do the film. Swara is someone who is gentle and yet so powerful. There is a certain kind of vulnerability that she has that would win your heart. She is the perfect person to play the character. Both of them never had any reservations about playing a queer or lesbian character, which speaks volumes about who they are as individuals.”
Divya, on her part, shares, “For me, this is not just a film. It’s a story about relationships — including this woman’s with her family and her partner, which is something that needs to be talked about amid all the taboo that exists in our society. I took up this role because I wanted to challenge myself as an actor and discover another side of me. I am in good hands, as I have Swara and Surekha ji as my co-actors, who are equally fabulous. I always wanted to share a screen with them. It is going to be lovely to bring in all the emotions of women who are in this and find a way to strike a balance in society.”
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