A restored version of India’s first-ever LGBTQ+ film Badnam Basti (1971) will be screened at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) on August 22, the organisers said on Tuesday.
“Pride takes center stage at IIFM 2025. This IFFM Pride Celebratory Night, witness the past and present of queer South Asian storytelling on the big screen,” reads a post on IFFM’s official X page.
The organisers added that Onir’s 2024 queer romance film, We Are Faheem & Karun, will also be screened on the much-anticipated LGBTQ+ Pride Night at the annual festival in Australia.
Badnam Basti, directed by Prem Kapoor and based on Kamleshwar’s debut novel Ek Sadak Sattavan Galiyan, is set in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh. The story follows Sarnam Singh, a bus driver with a past as a bandit. After rescuing a woman named Bansuri from an assault, Sarnam finds himself entrapped in her love. But a petty arrest tears them apart.
Upon his release, he meets Shivraj, a young temple worker he hires as a cleaner. The two men form a bond that is both emotional and physical, though never explicitly defined in the film.
We Are Faheem & Karun, on the other hand, was shot in the Himalayan town of Gurez in Kashmir. The film had its world premiere at the Dharamshala International Film Festival in November last year.
Backed by director-screenwriter Deepa Mehta, We Are Faheem & Karun stars Tawseef Mir as Faheem and Akash Menon as Karun. The film is an intimate queer love story exploring the journey of two men from different worlds as they navigate love, friendship and identity amid political tensions.
The 16th edition of IFFM, which will begin on August 14, is set to conclude on August 24. According to media reports, nearly 75 films will be showcased at the festival this year. The lineup includes films that explore a wide range of socially relevant themes, including gender, race, sexuality, disability and women’s representation.
Founded in 2010, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne is the largest Indian film festival held outside of India. It is also the only film festival officially supported by a foreign government—the Government of Victoria, Australia.
