WHAT IS SISAK AND WHY IS IT MAKING WAVES IN INDIA AND ABROAD?

2016 saw the release of Sisak, India’s first LGBTQ film, which is a love story between two men as they travel in the same Mumbai local back home. Not only is it a dissent towards Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, it is also a silent film and it is a massive hit among the LGBTQ community both in India and Abroad.

It is the second movie of Faraz Arif Ansari, who had only worked as a director’s assistant in multiple Bollywood films. He was also the director of another short film called Siberia and it fetched him the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Award for Best Director – Jury’s Choice. It is also the debut of two budding actors, Jitin Gulati and Dhruv Singhal, who plays the leads in this 20 minute short film.

The film explores the theme of love and it has been beautifully potrayed by both the actors. Shot entirely on the Mumbai local trains, the film is also crowdfunded and much of the money that went into the film came from Ansari himself. The film was first rejected by production houses in India and also by individual producers as well, because they felt that the subject was taboo in relation to the Indian audience. Later, he borrowed almost 6,000 dollars from over 19 bankers and shot the movie over a period of nine months, in guerilla style in the local trains of Mumbai.

The film was screened in the Wicked Queer film festival in Boston, international film festivals of New York, Brazil, Mexico and also in the LGBTQ Film Festival in Mumbai in 2017, and it has brought more fame to the film and the director. Overall the film has won 31 awards, both in India as well as abroad.

Previous to this, Ansari had worked with Amol Gupte, and was also part of movies such as Taare Zameen Par, Stanley Ka Dabba and Gippi. On many interviews, he expressed his struggle in making this film, because no one was willing to produce and there was always the danger of funds running out.

The film also won the Best Overall Best Film at the FilmOut San Diego Film Festival and even was also nominated for the Satyajit Ray Award. The word Sisak means, a sob which is struck in a throat. It is also a testament to the whole story of the movie.

The movie was written by Ansari back in 2013, after the Supreme Court’s judgement which reinstated the Section 377 of the Indian Constitution. Ansari, like many others, was deeply affected by the judgement and it led him to write the story of Sisak, in three hours straight.

Sonam Kapoor had in January this year launched the trailer of Sisak on her Twitter page. Filmmaker Tanuja Chandra also reviewed the film. Now Sisak, is gaining more and more recognition worldwide and it is a reflection of the changing phase of Indian cinema. The movie is a must watch!