Thursday, February 6th, 2025

Interview: Rohan Kanavade said- I first told my parents about my sexuality

Young filmmaker Rohan Kanavade, who was famous for making short films, got recognition from Kashish Mumbai International Quir Film Festival movie ‘Ekta Bhenti’. his/her LGBTQ community based on Community also got a lot of discussion. Rohan Kanavade, who grew up in Mumbai’s Chawl, himself is also from the LGBTQ Community. Recently, his/her film ‘Sabar Bonda’ proved to be the first Marathi film in South Asia, which was premiered at the world’s prestigious Sunndens Film Festival. Here Rohan talks openly on issues like his/her film, sexuality and conflict.

Your film ‘Sabar Bonda’ (Cactus Ke Phool) proved to be the first Marathi film in South Asia, which was premiered at the prestigious Sunandan Film Festival in the world. What would you like to say?

Along with Khushi, there was nervousness, because for the first time a Marathi film got such a stage. However, when I started writing its script, I did not expect much, because the scripts that I worked before, did not work out. This film is based on my life story. I have shown the irony of sexuality and identity in this film. When I started writing it, I started having fun. My producer Neeraj Churi started taking it to different film labs. When the Sundans Film Festival held in the US, it was not a place for our happiness. Our film has also been selected for London Film Festival and NFDC (National School of Drama) and Venice. It has been highly appreciated everywhere.

Earlier, Manoj Bajpayee’s National Award winning film ‘Aligarh’ was also based on a topic like homosexuality. You took inspiration from that film?

-No, because this film is based on my life story. I never take inspiration from others. It is based on my life experiences. My dad had passed and I was in the village for ten days. I used those ten days and my memories related to the village in the film.

Indian cinema has made a good penetration in international film festival, but our ‘missing ladies’ missed the Oscars?

-I cannot comment about ‘Lapata Ladies’, because this decision was of the jury there, but I think that day will come when our films will make their reach there too. Today our cinema is playing its sting on the world or the regional world stage. We just have to keep making good cinema.

You are an interior designer, but then how did you move to films?

– While doing interior designing, I also wanted to explore in films. I have been attracted to films since childhood. Whenever my father used to take me to the cinema hall, I would definitely see the projector. I felt that projector like a magic. My real interest in films woke up from Jurassic Park film. I was just in fourth grade at that time, the sound of the film attracted me a lot. In the class fourth, I made my own slide projector. In this way, my interest in cinema kept increasing. In the tenth grade, I made a short story with a story of my Marathi subject. My friends and acquaintances liked my short film very much.

‘My drawing was very good, so the father’s boss advised to become an interior designer. I became an interior designer, but my love for films did not decrease. I was working when my friends told me about a short film competition. This is a matter of 2007. On the latest version of Nokia, we tried to make that short film, but when we sat on editing, the phone crashed. It was very sad, but that proceduate was very interesting. After that I made many short films.

Your childhood was spent in Mumbai’s Chawl, what was the biggest support system for you?

-My father. My father used to work as a driver. We lived in Chawl in Amboli area of ​​Mumbai. My father was the one who told me that if you consider films as your passion, then get involved in it. Do not do any work for timepass. he/she was the one who inspired me to go to films. he/she worked as a driver for a long time, saved and formed a small company in the electric part with that savings, but had to close his/her company. he/she went into depression, but he/she became a driver again for his/her family. Due to his/her support, I was able to fulfill my dreams.

You are from Quir Community and have a special kind of sexuality. How difficult was this fight of your personality identity for you? What was your parents’ reaction?

-It, I had no questions about myself about my sexuality. I know that when people have different sexuality, they have to go through many suffering and inferiority. Your gay is still a big taboo in the society, but there was no problem for me. My parents were the first people in the world to accept me with my separate sexuality. In 2013, I first told this to my father. he/she just said, ‘You know about you, it is the most important.’ There is a very amazing thing, my mother is not read -and my father is also not very special, but despite this, how progressive his/her thinking must have been, which he/she adopted to me.

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