Debalina Majumder

Offers us glimpses of lives that are lived on their own terms and in such living mark their resistance against stifling social norms that threaten to homogenise diversity. A celebration of love and togetherness with a difference; it is a celebration of the struggles to live those differences.

…and the unclaimed delves into the aftermath of Swapna and Shucheta’s deaths, as well as the social conditions that led to their choice. “The unclaimed” refers both to the fact that neither of their families came forward to claim their bodies, but also to the tenuous state of existence of queer and trans folks in India. Interviews with Swapna and Shucheta’s families and neighbours are interspersed with the stories of ordinary Indian queer and trans people, as well as activists and advocates, all of whom are dealing with their own experiences of the label “unclaimed”, while fiercely fighting for their rights to live and love.

February, 2011. In a small village of West Bengal, two young women in love with each other―Swapna and Sucheta―took their own lives, leaving a letter claiming love, life, recognition… a letter challenging violence, hate, invisibilization.

The film follows a toddler Simran, affectionately nicknamed Jilipabala, as she explores the miniature cosmos of a giant tamarind tree located in the Vidyasagar Colony of South Kolkata.

What does it mean to not just break binaries, but to queer them too? When Neel decides to transition from his assigned gender at birth he is rendered homeless having to leave his parental home. But does he find the expected/promised shelter in his affirmed gender? Does he find familiarity in his chosen-lived life? Beyond the blues is a journey of breaking and unmaking binaries, never quite settling down in the comfort of borders and categorizations. It is the story of finding love and resilience in quiet corners, feline kinships, and vibrant colors of the rainbow. It is a promise to hold hands, walk in strength and solidarity, to facilitate newer journeys.

A film that revolves around three characters who are out exploring their marriage prospects with one of them documenting their travails. While Sayan and Gourab are assigned male at birth, Debalina, director of the film, is assigned female at birth. All three of them are looking for a same-gender partner, and the very suggestion of wanting to marry a same-gender partner drives people around them a into complete frenzy.

Offers us glimpses of lives that are lived on their own terms and in such living mark their resistance against stifling social norms that threaten to homogenise diversity. A celebration of love and togetherness with a difference; it is a celebration of the struggles to live those differences.

…and the unclaimed delves into the aftermath of Swapna and Shucheta’s deaths, as well as the social conditions that led to their choice. “The unclaimed” refers both to the fact that neither of their families came forward to claim their bodies, but also to the tenuous state of existence of queer and trans folks in India. Interviews with Swapna and Shucheta’s families and neighbours are interspersed with the stories of ordinary Indian queer and trans people, as well as activists and advocates, all of whom are dealing with their own experiences of the label “unclaimed”, while fiercely fighting for their rights to live and love.

…and the unclaimed delves into the aftermath of Swapna and Shucheta’s deaths, as well as the social conditions that led to their choice. “The unclaimed” refers both to the fact that neither of their families came forward to claim their bodies, but also to the tenuous state of existence of queer and trans folks in India. Interviews with Swapna and Shucheta’s families and neighbours are interspersed with the stories of ordinary Indian queer and trans people, as well as activists and advocates, all of whom are dealing with their own experiences of the label “unclaimed”, while fiercely fighting for their rights to live and love.

February, 2011. In a small village of West Bengal, two young women in love with each other―Swapna and Sucheta―took their own lives, leaving a letter claiming love, life, recognition… a letter challenging violence, hate, invisibilization.

The film follows a toddler Simran, affectionately nicknamed Jilipabala, as she explores the miniature cosmos of a giant tamarind tree located in the Vidyasagar Colony of South Kolkata.

What does it mean to not just break binaries, but to queer them too? When Neel decides to transition from his assigned gender at birth he is rendered homeless having to leave his parental home. But does he find the expected/promised shelter in his affirmed gender? Does he find familiarity in his chosen-lived life? Beyond the blues is a journey of breaking and unmaking binaries, never quite settling down in the comfort of borders and categorizations. It is the story of finding love and resilience in quiet corners, feline kinships, and vibrant colors of the rainbow. It is a promise to hold hands, walk in strength and solidarity, to facilitate newer journeys.

A film that revolves around three characters who are out exploring their marriage prospects with one of them documenting their travails. While Sayan and Gourab are assigned male at birth, Debalina, director of the film, is assigned female at birth. All three of them are looking for a same-gender partner, and the very suggestion of wanting to marry a same-gender partner drives people around them a into complete frenzy.