‘My Melbourne’ an emotional experience: Onir on exploring identity

Mumbai: Onir, a prominent voice for LGBTQ stories in Hindi cinema, cherishes the support of his family, a theme which he says forms the heart of his latest film, My Melbourne.

The film, released on March 14, is an anthology featuring four distinct narratives that delve into the complexities of diversity-sexuality, gender, disability, and race. Each short is inspired by true events and crafted by Onir, Imtiaz Ali, Kabir Khan, and Rima Das.

The filmmaker, known for critically-acclaimed titles like "My Brother... Nikhil", "I Am" and "Bas Ek Pal", said he feels a deep emotional connection to his short "Nandini" in “My Melbourne”.

“A lot comes from personal experience. When I was watching this film, it got very emotional to realise how fortunate I was that my parents didn't even question me once (about my identity).

"I see so many young people telling me how difficult it is (for them), and they don't want to lose their home or family, and there’s fear too,” Onir told PTI in an interview.

Onir’s film “Nandini” is about a queer man mending his estranged relationship with his father after his mother passes away. It is inspired by the life of the movie’s writer, Gregory Francis.

“It (story) is something that deeply resonates with me. When I see this film, it's emotional for me also because I recently lost my father. I lost him the day before the premiere. I realised it's the first film that he won't be seeing,” he said.

The Bhutan-born filmmaker believes “Nandini” is an essential watch for parents, who often impose expectations on children, rather than nurturing their dreams.

“So many people tell me, ‘I want to get into films but my parents...' There is this constant monitoring, trying to have your desire to be fulfilled through your children, be it in terms of marriage, job, etc. If you love your children, hold their hands to allow them to flourish in their dreams,” he said.

“Don't try to impose, and if you don't let your children flourish for who they are and if they have to hide their identity, and desire, then the love that you're cherishing is fake because you don't know your children. They're hiding their real feelings from you," he added.

Onir began his directorial journey in 2005 with “My Brother Nikhil”, considered among the first movies that introduced a gay character to mainstream cinema. His 2010 film, “I Am,” which won the National Award for Best Hindi Film, further solidified his standing in this space.

Voicing his concern over the current landscape of queer cinema, Onir said the support they had especially from multiplexes in early 2000 has greatly diminished over the years.

“It's a struggle right now when we release our films, not only to get that audience but to get the right shows. Earlier, we didn't have to pay for our shows. Right now, there are these minimum guarantees and you pay for them,” he said, adding, “we learn to survive, swim, drown, and sometimes reach the shore.” Another major challenge is securing funds for queer stories, said Onir, adding that he had to use personal finances to complete one of his upcoming films, “We Are Faheem & Karun”.

“I wanted to tell this story so passionately, so badly that because I was not getting finances, I used all my resources... everything to make this film possible,” he said.