The romantic dramaKuch Sapney Apnereleased in theatres on February 21. The film by Sridhar Rangayan & Saagar Gupta, is not only a story about a gay couple and their family members, but also involves the LGBTQ+ members and their parents in the film.
“It is a film about the community, by the community, but for the mainstream audiences. We are proud to have the participation of the LGBTQ+ community who have come together to participate in several scenes. They bring a touch of diversity and authenticity to the film,” said Sridhar Rangayan, the director of the film.
There are several scenes in the film that involve the participation of members of the LGBTQ community and their parents acting as their real selves.
Pradipta Ray, a reputed filmmaker, designer and teacher at NID, who also identifies as a transwoman, plays the part of an arts teacher in the film. She says, “My collaboration with Sridhar and Saagar, has been for many years in different capacity as a designer and animator. ButKuch Sapney Apneis special, as I feature in the film as an actor. Playing myself in a film is always difficult, but the director duo made it easy for me. Every queer themed film is important, as they contribute to LGBTQ+ discourse and influence the collective consciousness. This, in turn brings in change in the way the society perceives us. So every story is important, and deserves to be told. Hats off to Sridhar and Saagar for relentlessly working towards bringing such narratives to a larger audience of the multiplexes.”
Arnab Nandy, a budding filmmaker who identifies as a queer person, said, “We all have dreams, and so do we queer people—to live freely, love openly, and build a family. Being on the set with individuals from different queer identities was an unforgettable experience. With this film’s theatrical release, we hope these stories of love and togetherness reach every home, inspiring young queer people to dream without fear and believe that a life filled with family, laughter, and love is possible.” Nandy is in production with their short filmArrey Ladies Hai, which received the runners-up grant by actress Renuka Shahane, as part of the KASHISH QDrishti Film Grant 2024.
Nishtha Nishant, a trans woman who is the DEI Manager at The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, said “Being part ofKuch Sapney Apnehas been a deeply personal and empowering journey. This film beautifully captures the dreams, struggles, and triumphs of queer folks, told through real voices. Sharing screen space with parents and my allies reinforces the importance of acceptance and love. I hope this film sparks meaningful conversations, challenges stereotypes, and inspires more families to stand by their loved ones. We need more stories that celebrate authenticity and inclusion, andKuch Sapney Apneis a step in that direction.”
Shaman Gupta, a transman working for the rights of the trans community, after studying as an engineer, said, “Kuch Sapne Apnenot only celebrates queer love but also delves into the complexities of family relationships. As a trans man, I appreciated how the film used its platform to highlight diverse identities, reminding audiences that the queer community is a vast spectrum—each individual navigating their own unique journey of triumphs and challenges.” Gupta is a recipient of the Dalai Lama Fellowship 2020 for his work with the transmen community in India.
Padma Iyer, proud mother of the well-known queer activist Harish Iyer, said “Kuch Sapne Apneis a film about the longing in queer children to belong to a world that thinks of them as deviant. But truly, what’s different is not deviant. This film is also important for me personally because I have a small role in the film that has actually started a movement. The prequel ofKuch Sapne Apne,Evening Shadowsplayed an important role in setting up ‘Sweekar – The Rainbow Parents’, a support group of, for, and by parents of Indian LGBTQ children.”
Aruna Desai, Head of HR & Admin in a manufacturing company, and an out & proud mother of a gay son, said, “Evening Shadowsfilm was very special to me for two reasons, firstly for being associated with the film, and secondly it gave us a beautiful gift called Sweekar – The Rainbow Parents.Kuch Sapney Apneis even more special where I got the opportunity to play a small but very important role. I got to talk about the Sweekar group in the film. I feel a film like this will give a lot of people the courage to embrace and accept themselves as well as their children and families.”
“Releasing this film in all the theatres is the need of the hour”, added Desai.
The Sweekar group which was started in 2017 with around 20 parents as an outreach for the filmEvening Shadows, now has more than 700 parents of LGBTQ children, doing yeoman service to the community.
“Films can create a movement for change, and we have already demonstrated it with our previous filmEvening Shadows. We hopeKuch Sapney Apnewill spark dialogues around the community and also around marriage equality”, concluded Rangayan.
Kuch Sapney Apne stars Mona Ambegaonkar and Shishir Sharma, Satvik Bhatia, Arpit Chaudhary, Abhay Kulkarni, Veenah Naair, Yamini Singh, and Yateen Karyekar. The film’s evocative soundtrack, with songs by Vishal & Rekha Bhardwaj, Shaan, Shashwat Singh, and Sushant Divgikar, perfectly complements the poignant narrative.