Kiss (2022 film)

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Kiss
Directed by Varun Grover
Produced by Anto Chittilappilly, Sanita Chittilappilly, Anurag Kashyap
Starring Adarsh Gourav, Swanand Kirkire
Cinematography Sylvester Fonseca
Edited by Nitin Baid
Music by Mayukh-Mainak
Production
company
Distributed by Mubi
Release date
  • 2022 (2022)
CountryIndia
Language Hindi

Kiss is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language short film written and directed by Varun Grover in his directorial debut. The film is produced by Anto Chittilappilly and Sanita Chittilappilly under Newton Cinema. Anurag Kashyap is the executive producer of the film. The film features Adarsh Gourav, Swanand Kirkire, Chetan Sharma, Ashwath Bhatt and Shubhrajyoti Barat in pivotal roles. Blending science fiction with social satire, KISS explores the complexities of censorship, queer intimacy, and perception in contemporary Indian cinema.

Contents

Plot

Set entirely within the confines of a Mumbai preview theatre, the movie follows Sam, a young filmmaker who faces scrutiny from the Indian Censor Board over a kissing scene in his new sci-fi drama. As the board members debate the appropriate length of the kiss, they rewatch the scene, only to find that each perceives its duration differently—ranging from 28 seconds to over two minutes. This discrepancy leads to a surreal unraveling of reality, highlighting how personal experiences and prejudices can distort perception.

Cast

Production

KISS marks Varun Grover’s directorial debut, having previously established himself as a lyricist and screenwriter. The film was produced by Arya Menon and Shubham Karna (Odd & Even), with Anurag Kashyap serving as executive producer. Sylvester Fonseca handled cinematography, Nitin Baid was the editor, and the music was composed by Mayukh & Mainak. The film was produced under the Newton Cinema banner.

Release

KISS premiered at the New York Indian Film Festival and was also screened at the Beijing Queer Film Festival in 2022. It was released on the streaming platform MUBI on June 1, 2025. The film was also selected for screening in the Cinema Regained section at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam 2025.

Accolades

YearEventCategoryResult
2022 Bengaluru International Short Film Festival [1] Indian CompetitionWon
2022Tasveer South Asian Film Festival [2] Best Narrative ShortWon
2022New Generations Independent Indian Film FestivalBest ShortWon
2023South Asian Film Festival of MontrealBest Short FictionWon
2023The Critics Choice AwardsBest Writing - Short FilmWon

Festival appearances

YearFestival
2022Bengaluru International Short Film Festival [1]
2022Tasveer South Asian Film Festival [2]
2022New Generations Independent Indian Film Festival
2022 New York Indian Film Festival [3]
2022 Beijing Queer Film Festival [4] [5]
2022Moscow Shorts [6]
2022Prairie Pride Film Festival [7]
2022 Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne [8]
2022 International Documentary & Short Film Festival Of Kerala [9] [10] [11]
2023 Dharmshala International Film Festival [12]
2023South Asian Film Festival of Montreal
2023Critics Choice Award [13]
2025 International Film Festival Rotterdam [14]

References

  1. 1 2 "Varun Grover's Debut Short Film 'KISS' Wins Bengaluru International Short Film Festival Award - DeadAnt". Deadant. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Award Winners - TasveerFestival 2023". 15 November 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  3. ↑ Dcosta, Vidal (16 May 2022). "New York Indian Film Festival Review - 'Kiss' (2022)". The Movie Buff. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  4. ↑ "Varun Grover's short fil "KISS" heading to Beijing Queer Film Festival". Economic Times. 14 November 2022. pp. 1–2.
  5. ↑ PTI (13 November 2022). "Varun Grover's short film 'Kiss' heading to Beijing Queer Film Festival". ThePrint. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "April 2022 – Moscow Shorts Official Selection – Moscow Shorts" . Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  7. ↑ Festival, Prairie Pride Film. "KISS". Prairie Pride Film Festival. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "Adarsh's Kiss to premiere in OZ". The Asian Age. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2023– via PressReader.
  9. ↑ "Why I made a short film called Kiss: Varun Grover interview". The News Minute. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  10. ↑ "Kiss | COMPETITION SHORT FICTION". idsffk.in. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  11. ↑ "IDSFFK: സെൻസർഷിപ്പിനെതിരെ വരുൺ ഗ്രോവറിന്റെ 'കിസ്സ്' രാജ്യാന്തര ഹ്രസ്വ ചലച്ചിത്ര മേളയിൽ". India Today Malayalam (in Malayalam). Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  12. ↑ "KISS – Dharamshala International Film Festival". diff.co.in. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  13. ↑ "Critics Choice Awards 2023: Rocket Boys, Gargi lead nominations list, check out the full list here". WION. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  14. ↑ "Kiss". IFFR EN. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
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