The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) will screen a rare Badnaam Basti—India's first known film on an LGBTQ theme—on its Pride Celebratory Night next month.
First released in 1971 and directed by Prem Kapoor, Badnaam Basti features Nitin Sethi, Amar Kakkad, and Nandita Thakur.
The film revolves around Sarnam, a bandit-turned-driver who rescues a woman named Bansuri from attempted assault. Subsequently, he recruits Shivraj, a temple worker, to assist him, and an elaborate web of relationships builds concerning subtle themes of desire and intimacy.
Long believed to be lost to the ages after a fleeting run on the festival circuit, a 35mm print of the movie was accidentally discovered in 2019 in Berlin. While digging up footage by another director with the same last name, American curators Michael Metzger and Simran Bhalla came across the film at the Arsenal Institute for Film and Video Art. This inadvertent rediscovery has stirred up interest in Badnaam Basti, particularly with its innovative depiction of homo-erotic undertones for the era, according to a December 2024 Guardian piece.
Pride Night this year will include the restored original as a nod to its pioneering heritage, followed by the Aussie premiere of We Are Faheem and Karun, a poignant queer romance by revered filmmaker Onir.
IFFM 2025 will feature almost 75 films that celebrate tales of inclusion, pushing boundaries around issues of gender, sexuality, race, disability, and women's empowerment.
Speaking to the importance of this programming, IFFM Festival Director Mitu Bhowmik Lange said:
"At IFFM, we are committed to the power of the cinema to connect and initiate conversations. It is our duty to look at the world we live in, with all its stunning diversity.". This Pride Night is not merely a celebration of queer identity but also the reclamation of space that has been historically denied to LGBTQIA+ narratives in Indian cinema. With films such as Badnaam Basti and We Are Faheem and Karun, we pay homage to the past and look forward to a future of inclusive storytelling.
Now in its 16th edition, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne from August 14 to 24 will feature the Pride-themed event on August 22.
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