Evening Shadows | |
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Directed by | Sridhar Rangayan |
Written by |
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Produced by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | Subhransu Das |
Edited by | Pravin Angre |
Music by |
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Production company | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 102 minutes |
Country | India |
Language | Hindi |
Evening Shadows is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Sridhar Rangayan. The film stars Mona Ambegaonkar, Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, Devansh Doshi, Arpit Chaudhary, Yamini Singh, Abhay Kulkarni, Veena Nair, Kala Ramnathan, Disha Thakur, Sushant Divgikar and Faredoon Bhujwala.
It was produced under the banner of Solaris Pictures with screenplay written by Rangayan and Saagar Gupta, and dialogues by Gupta.
It has won 25 international Awards and has become a success in international film festival circuit with selection in 75 international film festivals. [1]
The film had a limited theatrical release in India beginning 11 January 2019. It was released in PVR Cinemas in Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Nagpur. [2]
The film received critical reviews with an average of 3 rating out of 5, with reviewers mentioning the film to be "a vivid portrayal of a coming out story that's as warm as it is raw and complex" [3] and "this one deserves to be watched and supported for its context and space". [4]
As of late 2021 the movie is NO LONGER streaming on Netflix.
In a small town in Southern India that lives within a cocoon of traditions and social morality, when a young gay man Kartik (Devansh Doshi) comes out to his mother Vasudha (Mona Ambegaonkar), her entire world comes crashing down. She has no one to turn to for dispelling her fears and doubts, to understand her loving son's truth. Moreover, as a woman trapped within a patriarchal conservative society, her biggest challenge is to deal with her dogmatic husband Damodar (Ananth Mahadevan), and the conservative society around her. Evening Shadows is a universal story about a mother-son bonding and its emotional strength to withstand the ravages of time and harsh realities.
Actor | Character | Role |
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Mona Ambegaonkar | Vasudha | A South Indian mother caught up in patriarchal mores who has to face the challenge of accepting her gay son. |
Ananth Narayan Mahadevan | Damodar | A stern patriarch who imposes his ideas and will on everyone in his family. |
Devansh Doshi | Kartik | A young photographer who returns to his hometown and wants to come out his mother. |
Arpit Chaudhary | Aman | Kartik's love interest, who is worried not only about his lover being away from him but also is bothered by the Section 377 verdict in the Supreme Court of India. |
Yamini Singh | Sarita | A perky divorced aunt who hides her pain behind her ebullience. |
Abhay Kulkarni | Ramesh Chacha | A married man who harbours secret desires. |
Veena Nair | Lata | Wife of Ramesh Chacha, who is so caught up caring for her kids, that she doesn't notice her husband's wandering eyes. |
Sushant Divgikar | Sushant | Playing their true self, they have some quirky one-liners. |
The script of the film was written in 2009, and some part of production money was raised through crowdfunding by the production company Solaris Pictures. [5] [6] The shooting of the film was carried out in November and December 2016 in and around Mysore, Karnataka. The film features very scenic locations like Balmuri, Karigatta, Srirangapatna and several archaeological sites at Talkad.
The post production of the film was completed by end of 2017. In a landmark decision, the Central Board for Film Certification gave the film a UA certificate in December 2017. [7]
Evening Shadows premiered on 25 February 2018 at Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney to sold-out show. Director Sridhar Rangayan, lead actress Mona Ambegaonkar, actress Kala Ramnathan and co-producer Maulik Thakkar attended the world premiere. [8] The film had its Indian Premiere at the Bengaluru International Film Festival on 1 March 2018. It was the Opening Film at the Lonavala International Film Festival on September 7, 2018, a day after the Supreme Court verdict on Sec 377.
Evening Shadows has traveled to more than 75 international film festivals across the world. It has won 25 awards including jury and audience awards for Best Film, as well as awards for Best performance for Mona Ambegaonkar and a Best Cinematography award. [9] [10] [11]
It was the closing film at KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. [12]
Eminent actress Shabana Azmi watched the film Evening Shadows at the Lonavala International Film Festival on 7 September 2018 at Trios Plaza theater and said, "I feel that all families, especially in our country, should see this film. I hope that a big studio, or a big producer will embrace this film and present it. I strongly feel that this film will run, it will be successful at the box office. I have full trust that this film will be a hit." [13] She also said she will try to help in mainstream release of the film. [14]
As of April 2019 the movie is streaming on Netflix.
The film Evening Shadows features one song Surmaee Shaam composed and sung by legendary classical musician Shubha Mudgal. The lyrics are written by Saagar Gupta and the music arrangement is by Shantanu Nandan Herlekar. The soundtrack has been released on platforms like Saavn, iTunes etc. [15]
10% of the money raised through crowdfunding on Wishberry is donated by Solaris Pictures to facilitate formation of a support group for parents of LGBTQ children in India, along the lines of PFLAG-type groups in the USA. The parent support group in India was formed as Sweeekar - The Rainbow Parents. [16] The group now has around 50 parents (mothers and fathers) of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender children. They have taken part in workshops, marched in pride walks and also have been speakers at panel discussions at events like KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. [17]
The Pink Mirror, titled Gulabi Aaina in India, is an Indian film drama produced and directed by Sridhar Rangayan. It is said to be the first Indian film to comprehensively focus on Indian transsexuals with the entire story revolving around two transsexuals and a gay teenager's attempts to seduce a man, Samir. The film explores the taboo subject of transsexuals in India which is still much misunderstood and ridiculed.
Yours Emotionally is a United Kingdom-Indian co-produced film written by Niranjan Kamatkar & Sridhar Rangayan and produced by arts charity Wise Thoughts (UK) & Solaris Pictures and directed by Rangayan. It stars Premjit, Pratik Gandhi, Jack Lamport, Ikhlaq Khan, and Ajai Rohilla. The film was selected for participation in LGBT film festivals in San Francisco, New York (NewFest), and others.
Sridhar Rangayan is an Indian filmmaker who has made films with special focus on queer subjects. His queer films, The Pink Mirror and Yours Emotionally, have been considered groundbreaking because of their realistic and sympathetic portrayal of the largely closeted Indian gay community. His film The Pink Mirror remains banned in India by the Indian Censor Board because of its homosexual content.
Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, also credited as Anant Mahadevan, is an Indian screenwriter, actor, and film director of Hindi and Marathi as well as Tamil Films and television shows. Having been an integral part of the Indian television serials and Hindi films since the 1980s, he is also involved in the professional English and Hindi theatre.
Solaris Pictures is an Indian film production company based in Mumbai. It was created by Sridhar Rangayan, and Saagar Gupta in 2001. The two have gone on to create several award-winning films under Solaris Pictures' banner, focusing on LGBT issues and HIV/AIDS.
The KASHISH Pride Film Festival is an annual LGBTQ event that has been held in Mumbai, India, since 2010. The film festival screens gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer films from India and around the world. It is voted as one of the top five LGBT film festivals in the world.
Riyad Vinci Wadia was an Indian independent filmmaker from Bombay, known for his short film, BOMgAY (1996), possibly the very first gay themed movie from India. Born into the filmmaking Wadia family, he inherited the production company Wadia Movietone which is known for the Fearless Nadia movies which are one of their kind in the superwoman and stunt genre when other movies of their time usually portrayed women in submissive roles. Wadia is also known for his award-winning documentary on Nadia, Fearless: The Hunterwali Story (1993), which was written about in Time magazine and made a name for Riyad at the very outset of his brief but impactful career.
India's LGBTQ culture has recently progressed in its cities due to the growing acceptance of the LGBTQ community in urban India in the 21st century.
Humsafar Trust is an NGO in Mumbai that promotes LGBT rights. Founded by Ashok Row Kavi, Suhail Abbasi, and Sridhar Rangayan in 1994, it is one of the largest and most active of such organisations in India. It provides counselling, advocacy and healthcare to LGBT communities and has helped reduce violence, discrimination and stigma against them. Humsafar Trust is the convenor member of Integrated Network for Sexual Minorities (INFOSEM).
Yeh Hai Chakkad Bakkad Bumbe Bo is a 2003 Indian children's film directed by Sridhar Rangayan, and written by Vijay Tendulkar and Sushma Bakshi. The film is based on a short story by Shakuntala Paranjpye and was shot on location over 20 days in Mandangad, Bankot and Mumbai.
Mona Ambegaonkar is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films and television. She has featured in over 15 plays, 18 feature films, 38 TV projects, 37 advertising campaigns. She had a minor role in film Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa and medical drama Dhadkan as Dr. Chitra.
Betu Singh was a lesbian rights activist, born in an Army family in Kolkata. She set up the Sangini Trust, an NGO based in Delhi under the umbrella of the Naz Foundation, in 1997 to fight for lesbian rights. The NGO works for women attracted to women and individuals dealing with their gender identity, providing emergency response services to LBT individuals facing rights violations. Sangini is the oldest non-governmental organization in India to reach out to LBT persons and one of the few registered lesbian organisations in India.
Purple Skies is a 2014 movie directed by Sridhar Rangayan and produced by Public Service Broadcasting Trust and Solaris Pictures. It documents the opinions of lesbians, bisexuals and trans men in India. It was broadcast on Doordarshan in 2015.
The Delhi International Queer Theater and Film Festival (DIQTFF), is a queer cultural festival curating films, plays, talks and performances. It is organised by a queer collective in Delhi called Harmless Hugs. The film festival is intended to connect with larger diaspora of the Indian LGBTQ struggle for equal human rights and to reach out to masses via omnipotence of Media, Theatre and Cinema. Movie screenings and plays are well complemented by a round of panel discussions and debates, including some of the biggest names from the Indian LGBTQ Movement. Discussions around tumultuous territories of politics, gender disparity, coming out and involvement of families and more will also be a part of this two-day event, that is happening every December since its initiation in 2015.
Maacher Jhol - The fish curry is a 2D animated short film directed by Abhishek Verma. It follows a son coming out to his father, while he prepares his favourite dish, maacher jhol, a traditional fish recipe in Bengal.
LGBT Pride marches have been held in the Indian state of Gujarat in various cities since 2013. The first LGBT pride march was held in Surat on 6 October 2013. Since then, pride march in the state has been held in Ahmedabad and Vadodara.
Breaking Free is a 2015 film directed by Sridhar Rangayan and produced by Solaris Pictures. In this documentary, filmmaker and gay activist Sridhar Rangayan embarks on a personal journey to expose the human rights violations faced by the LGBTQ community in India due to a draconian law Section 377 and homophobic social mores of a patriarchal society. The film was selected to be part of the Indian Panorama (non-Fiction) and screened at International Film Festival of India in 2015.
Saagar Gupta is an Indian screenwriter, lyricist and film producer.
Alex Sangha is a Canadian social worker and documentary film producer. He is the founder of Sher Vancouver which is a registered charity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) South Asians and their friends. Sangha was the first Sikh to become a Grand Marshal of the Vancouver Pride Parade. Sangha received the Meritorious Service Medal from Governor General Julie Payette in 2018 for his work founding Sher Vancouver. Sangha's first short documentary film, My Name Was January, won 14 awards and garnered 66 official selections at film festivals around the world. Sangha's debut feature documentary, Emergence: Out of the Shadows, was an official selection at Out on Film in Atlanta, Image+Nation in Montreal, and Reelworld in Toronto. The film was the closing night film at both the South Asian Film Festival of Montreal and the Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival where it picked up Best Documentary. Emergence: Out of the Shadows also had a double festival premiere at the KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival and the Mumbai International Film Festival during the same week, where it was in competition at both film festivals for Best Documentary. The film also had an in-person and online screening at the 46th annual Frameline: San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival which is "the longest-running, largest and most widely recognized LGBTQ+ film exhibition event in the world."
Unwoman is a Hindi-language drama film produced by Gunjan Goel under the banner of Hashtag Films LLP. The film is categorised under the genre of love, social issues, LGBTQ+, and drama. The earlier name of the film was Sanwri. The film won the best foreign film award in the Merced Queer Film Festival. UnWoman also garnered the title of best LGBTQ Film in Northeast India International Film. UnWoman garnered huge appreciation when officially screened at KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival and Taiwan International Queer Film Festival.