KASHISH

Advisory Board Members

KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is happy to announce the new KASHISH Advisory Board. We look forward to their guidance and support for the next three years.

ARUNARAJE PATIL

A critically acclaimed award-winning filmmaker, Arunaraje passed out of the Film Institute of India with a gold medal in 1969 and was the first trained girl technician to join the industry. Some of her features are Shaque, Gehrayee, Situm, Rihaee, Bhairavi, Keh Do Na and Tum. Apart from teaching, she has been part of decision-making bodies in many film schools. She has served on many juries including National Film Awards and has been a strong voice for documentaries. She has won 5 National awards for her documentaries Mallika Sarabhai, A New Paradigm and Behind the Glass Wall. She has been a Landmark Forum Leader and has led transformational programs as a Life Coach.

DOLLY THAKORE

Dolly Thakore has worn many hats –starting her career on Radio, she became known as a News Reader on Bombay Doordarshan. And simultaneously, a writer of many personal columns, and reviewer of English and Hindi Films and Theatre – in almost every English daily and periodical of that time. She has been a Communications Consultant for numerous Corporate Houses. Her two passions have remained the stage and social Work. She has been part of the ensemble of actors of the hugely successful Vagina Monologues, which has been running for ten years. And between all this, she juggles her time with NGOS. Among others, currently she is the national coordinator for Laadli Girl Child Campaign media award.

MEGHNA GHAI PURI

Meghna Ghai Puri is the President of Whistling Woods International. Promoted by filmmaker Subhash Ghai, Mukta Arts Limited & Film city Mumbai, Whistling Woods International is Asia’s largest Film, Television, Animation and Media Arts institute. She holds an advanced diploma in Communications, Advertising and Marketing and a BSc Honours degree in Business Management from Kings College, London. Earlier in her career she managed marketing and Business Development for Mukta Arts Ltd and was associated with films like Pardes, Taal, and Yaadein. She has been associated with key businesses in the Indian entertainment industry through prominent projects including the ambitious stage celebration of 100 years of Indian cinema – Cinema 100.

ONIR

Onir is an Indian filmmaker, producer, screenwriter and editor. He is best known for his films My Brother…Nikhil and I Am which won the Indian National Film awards for Best Film (Hindi). Born as Anirban Dhar in Samchi, Bhutan, Onir received a scholarship to study film editing at SFB/TTC in Berlin. He later returned to India and worked as an editor, scriptwriter, art director, music album producer and song/music video director. Together with Sanjay Suri, Onir started Anticlock Films, a production company that concentrates on promoting young directors and new ideas. His last release was Kuchh Bheege Alfaaz which is currently streaming on Netflix. Onir has received the Diversity Award from Film Victoria Australia and La Trobe University at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2019.

RENUKA SHAHANE

Renuka Shahane is a popular actress in Indian theatre, television and film for the last 30 years. She is well-known for her role in the iconic Bollywood blockbuster Hum Aapke Hain Kaun?. She has received the Best Actress award for the film Aboli and the Star Screen Best Actress Awards for her roles in the TV series Imtihaan and Sailaab.  Her first directorial feature film Rita was critically acclaimed, winning her the Best Director award in the 16th Nokia Star-Screen Awards 2010, and also received the best screenplay award at the 8th Pune International Film Festival, as well as the V Shantaram Award for Best Supporting Actress  in 2010. Her latest feature film as director Tribhanga will be released on Netflix in 2021.

ROY WADIA

Roy Wadia hails from the Wadia Movietone family. His brother was the late filmmaker and gay activist Riyad Wadia (Fearless: The Hunterwali Story, BOMgAY). Roy worked at CNN for 12 years, helping launch and produce much of the global broadcaster’s Asia-Pacific news programming. In 2003, Roy switched careers by joining the World Health Organisation’s China office as its communications and advocacy officer, and in 2006 joined the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control in Vancouver. From 2010-2013, he was Executive Director of Heroes Project, the Bombay-based HIV NGO under the Gates Foundation’s Avahan programme. Roy currently is with the United Nations in Bangkok.