The 14th edition of KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival has generated a lot of excitement in the city with its impressive lineup of 110 LGBTQ-themed films from 41 countries. One of today’s highlights of the festival was the special presentation of the film Maja Ma, starring Madhuri Dixit and directed by Anand Tiwari. The red carpet event and movie screening was graced by Bollywood actors Simone Singh, Barkha Singh, Ritwik Bhowmik, and Srishti Shrivastava, along with Anand Tiwari and Festival Director Sridhar Rangayan. Maja Ma is an Amazon Original Movie that also features Simone Singh, Gajraj Rao, Ritwik Bhowmik, Barkha Singh, Srishti Shrivastava, Rajit Kapur, and Sheeba Chaddha in significant roles.

Sridhar Rangayan, the festival director of KASHISH said, 
“Maja Ma is a family film and should be on every movie lover bucket list. Movies like these have emerged as best mediums to drive a powerful message on sensitive topics. We are happy and proud to see movie makers thinking out of the box and making unconventional films that not just entertain but also emerge as messengers. We are thrilled to see the kind of love KASHISH has been getting every year. We hope to entertain the audiences and educate them through Cinema.”

Maja Ma is a family-oriented movie with a twist, delicately portraying a same-sex love story while delivering a powerful message.

Both Madhuri Dixit and Simone Singh who play the lead parts were felicitated with the KASHISH Rainbow Voices Award 2023.

Madhuri Dixit who sent a special virtual message said, 
“Maja Ma will always have a special place in my heart. When I heard the script, I instantly fell in love with the character. Pallavi Patel is a responsible mother, a loving wife, an important and respected member of the community in which she lives. She tries to play every role in her life to perfection, while also having an identity of her own. She is resilient and a strong person- something which drew me to play this character. Maja Ma has been an incredible experience and I am thrilled that the film will be showcased at KASHISH 2023.”

Video of the Madhuri Dixit receiving the award : https://youtu.be/B0LjlI5Xu94

Simone Singh who plays the feisty Kanchan said, 
“KASHISH always has a special place in my heart, and it is a huge honour to receive the Rainbow Voices Award. It is one of the proudest moments in my life. I’m also super thrilled to see the love that film has received at the festival.”

Anand Tiwari, director of the film, said, 
“Post the love that Maja Ma has received from global audiences, since its launch on Prime Video, we take pride in showcasing this as a special feature at KASHISH. We are happy with to see the applause that the movie received at the film festival. As a film maker I hope to continue the trend of making path breaking films that makes the audiences happy. Kudos to the entire team of KASHISH. Way to go.”

The festival also sees a large number of filmmaker participation this year, both from all corners of India and almost two dozen international filmmakers, almost 65 cast & crew members in all.

Saagar Gupta, director of programming, said,
“Film Festivals are a good opportunity to the filmmakers in reaching out to their audiences not only by screenings but also by having the interactions with them. We’re delighted to be joined by 20 International and 26 Indian Filmmakers from outside Mumbai in addition to an array of local Mumbai filmmakers to participate in the post screening Q&A / events throughout at KASHISH this year. It’s heartening to see how each year the number of attending filmmakers is growing at the festival.

Join us for more entertainment and action packed weekend at KASHISH till 11 June 2023. Block your dates!

More details about the programs can be found at http://mumbaiqueerfest.com

Registration for the festival can be done at https://insider.in/event/kashish-2023-jun7-2023