Raising important questions

Most of filmmaker Sridhar Rangayan's films capture and portray the issues surrounding the life of members of sexual minorities.

His feature film 'Evening Shadows' that will be screened on March 1 at the ongoing Bengaluru International Film Festival (Biffes) at PVR Cinemas, Orion Mall, Rajajinagar, deals with how the bond between a mother and son is put to test when the son tells his mother that he is gay.

The story is set in Srirangapatna and shot at picturesque locations of Talkad, Karighatta, Balmuri, etc. The film has the backdrop of the culture and tradition of a Tamilian family in Karnataka and a family drama is woven around it.

Talking more about the film, Sridhar says that 'Evening Shadows' puts the gay rights in India into stark perspective. "Set around the days of the 2013 Supreme Court judgement on Sec 377, the film is a testimony of how legal and political decisions impact personal lives. The Supreme Court decision took away the basic right of gay men to love and live with dignity, and effectively label them as criminals.

Here, Kartik's story is an emotional struggle to come out to his mother and tell her about himself, and his lover. But the film is more about the mother struggling to come to terms with this truth of her loving son, and if she will have the courage to stand up to her family and society," says Sridhar.

Sridhar states that the film is very close to his heart, as the background and milieu the film is set in is very similar to his own. "While it is not autobiographical, there are several incidents and thoughts that are a reflection of my life. The story is of so many youngsters who have gone through such situations. It is not only an Indian story but an universal one. This was underlined clearly by the response the film received at its World Premiere in Sydney where it was a mixed audience of Asian and Caucasian audiences. Everyone was engrossed with the film and moved by it," he says.

About whether films like this will bring about a change, Sridhar says, "No one film can alter society's mores or viewpoints. But I strongly believe films can play a crucial role as catalysts for people to start thinking, and hopefully result in an attitudinal change. Again we need a significant number of films, that are sensitive, to enable this," he signs off.