India’s First LGBTQ Film ‘Badnaam Basti’ to Shine at IFFM

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) will showcase the restored print of Badnaam Basti, India’s first LGBTQ film, during its Pride Celebratory Night on August 22, 2025. Directed by Prem Kapoor in 1971, the film, starring Nitin Sethi, Amar Kakkad, and Nandita Thakur, explores a complex relationship between a bandit driver, Sarnam, his rescued companion Bansuri, and temple worker Shivraj, notable for its homoerotic undertones, groundbreaking for its time.

Thought lost after limited festival screenings, a 35mm print was rediscovered in 2019 at Berlin’s Arsenal Institute by US curators Simran Bhalla and Michael Metzger, who stumbled upon it while researching another director, as reported by The Guardian. The screening, paired with the Australian premiere of Onir’s queer love story We Are Faheem and Karun, celebrates inclusive storytelling.

IFFM Director Mitu Bhowmik Lange emphasized, “Cinema connects and sparks conversations. This Pride Night reclaims space for LGBTQIA+ narratives, honoring Badnaam Basti’s legacy and embracing future inclusivity.” The 16th IFFM, running August 14-24, will feature 75 films championing diversity across gender, race, sexuality, and disability.

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