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Solaris PicturesIndia 

Indian Gay / Queer Film Production Company

About Me

Solaris Pictures is the only Indian film production company that has consistently been making films on issues such as homosexuality and gay rights, films that engage the audience and initiate dialogues on issues dealing with health and sexuality, human rights, and the gay and transgender communities. Previous productions include: The Pink Mirror, which has won two Best Film awards, and was screened at over 72 festivals; Yours Emotionally! which has been released on DVD in North America and 68 Pages, which won the Silver Remi award at the 2008 WorldFest Houston.


Solaris Pictures believes in pushing the envelope - both as producer and as distributor, and in partnering with grassroots NGOs and CBOs in India, and international collaborators from around the world.

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Background & Accomplishments

  • Education & Professional Training
    Solaris Pictures is an Indian film production company that has achieved international recognition for its bold and path-breaking films. It produces films that go beyond mere entertainment, to emotionally engage the audience and initiate dialogues about underserved issues like health and sexuality, human rights, gay and transgender issues.

    With no resources for making queer films in India, the two partners Sridhar Rangayan and Saagar Gupta pooled in their personal resources to produce their first project 'Gulabi Aaina’ (The Pink Mirror) (2003), a short film on Indian transsexuals. Though banned in India, it has gone on to become a ‘cult film’, having played at over 70 international film festivals and won several awards. It is now part of sexuality and gender curriculum at several US Universities. Self distributed, the film’s DVDs continue to sell well on Amazon and Indiepix.

    The company’s next two films take up similar themes around sexual minorities. A passionate gay love story ‘Yours Emotionally!’ (2006), has been co-produced with Wise Thoughts (UK). It has received great critical acclaim at the film festivals and is being distributed by Waterbearer Films (US).

    The next feature ‘68 Pages’ (2007), a film on stigma and discrimination faced by HIV positive people was produced with seed money from DFID (UK) and co-produced with The Humsafar Trust (India). The film has been made mandatory as part of counselor training modules in India by the apex government body NACO as part of their national policy.

    Solaris Pictures is also venturing into co-production and distribution of Indian queer films, with the latest DVD release of Ashish Sawhney’s film on Indian male sex workers – ‘Happy Hookers’.

    Filmography:
    The Pink Mirror - Gulabi Aaina (2003)
    Chakkad Bakkad Bumbe Bo (2004)
    Yours Emotionally! (2006)
    68 Pages (2007)

    Awards:
    * Silver Remi award at Worldfest 2008, Houston, USA (for film ‘68 Pages’)
    * Bronze Remi award at Worldfest 2005, Houston, USA (for film ‘Chakkad Bakkad Bumbe Bo’)
    * Jury Award for Best Film at ‘Fire Island Film Festival 2004, New York, USA (for film ‘The Pink Mirror - Gulabi Aaina’)
    * Best Film of the Festival award at ‘Question de Genre’ film festival 2003, Lille, France (for film ‘The Pink Mirror - Gulabi Aaina’)
    * RAPA award for Best Telefilm, 2000 (for ‘Khamoshiyaan’, Zee TV)
    * RAPA award for Best Comedy, 1999 (for ‘Piya Ka Ghar’, Zee TV)

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Posted by: Solaris
Posted: 11/07/08 10:08 PM

68 Pages DVDs released on Amazon:

 

You can buy DVDs of 68 pages alongwith Bonus Features that includes 4 other queer short films on Amazon. Safe & secure transaction. Free shipping. Click here : astore.amazon.com/solarisp-20

 

 

In India, DVDs can be purchased in over 10 cities - Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Mandya, Rajkot, Surat, Pune and Nagpur. Please check www.humsafar.org/68pages/dvd.htm for more details.