Pride Month special: Director Sumit Pawar’s short film, Vaidya, wins hearts with its simple tale

Mumbai-based LGBTQIA+ activist and filmmaker, Sumit Pawar’s first short film Vaidya, which is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, will surely leave you impressed with its subtle same-sex love story. “I have been working in the development sector for almost 10 years. I am very outspoken and I love to explore different things. Naturally, I was always fascinated by the magic of cinema and thought of making a film someday,” recalls Pawar.

However, he found out that it’s no mean job to sustain as an indie filmmaker who’s out to make a film on something so niche. “It’s pretty challenging because filmmaking is an expensive affair and in a country like India making films on subjects related to queerness, gender and caste involves a lot of risks and often leads to controversies,” he adds.

But he is happy about the responses for Vaidya. “People have loved the story. I found the script different from others. I believe in making films with which people can easily connect and understand. The story had a different taste and feel,” he says.

How inclusive have we become?

I think we have started moving towards a more inclusive society albeit very slow. There are many out there who still have a lot of misunderstandings and confusions and it is important to clear their doubts through proper education in order to make them understand the need and benefits of inclusion.

What’s your next movie?

For now, I’m enjoying this film and working on how I can make this one reach out to a bigger audience. I have a few stories in my mind and I am keen to work on them but I am taking things at a slow pace.

Vaidya is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

sharmishtha.g@newindianexpress.com

Twitter: @sharmidas