The Rainbow Lit Fest goes beyond binaries and brings together different identities and sections of society. With the tag line Queer and Inclusive this is an amalgamation of different forms of expression where over 75 exponents of prose, poetry, art, music, dance and cinema will come together over two days. This one of a kind lit fest takes place in Delhi on December 7 and 8.
The fest will be addressed by notable authors, filmmakers and activists such as Devdutt Pattnaik, Nandita Das, Nemat Sadat and Onir, among several other distinguished personalities, sharing stories and ideas that will seek to stitch together a more informed narrative of diversity, existence and co-existence.
Panel discussions and talks will be interspersed with screenings of iconic films like U for Usha by Rohan Kanwade, the Konkona Sen-starrer Monsoon Date by Tanuja Chandra, I Am Sanjo by Jijo Kuriakose and the most-awarded silent LGBT silent film, Sisak by Faraz Ansari. In addition, there would be dance performances, a puppet show, a drag act and three music performances by the Traditional Nizami Brothers, the 12-member Manzil Mystics and arguably the most diverse rock band in the country - The Original Knock-Offs.
The fest is backed by an eight-member advisory committee comprising Anjali Gopalan (founder, Naz Foundation), Apurva Asrani (National Award-winning filmmaker, film editor and screenwriter), Maya Sharma (author and activist), Parmesh Shahani (founder, Godrej India Culture Lab), Saleem Kidwai (historian and queer activist), Dr Saif Mahmood (author, activist and lawyer), Vivek Mansukhani (educationist and theatre personality), and Zainab Patel (Manager, DI, KPMG).
The festival has been conceptualised by Sharif D. Rangnekar (Festival Director), the author of Straight To Normal – My Life As A Gay Man, a book released earlier this year, the first memoir since the reading down of Section 377 last September. It is co-presented by a platform Rangnekar curates – Embrace: Music Justice Arts and the Creative Director, Pankaj Malhotra’s event firm – Epic India.
December 7 and 8, 2019. At Gulmohar Park Club, New Delhi. Details: rainbowliteraturefestival.com