Digital & One – Schedule – Rainbow Lit Fest

Rainbow Lit Fest –Digital & One

Day 1 – December 5

Rainbow Lit Fest
–Digital & One

Day 1 – December 5

	MATINEE
1130	KEYNOTE ONE ON ONE - Dr Shashi Tharoor Author & Member of Parliament
1200	PANEL 1 The ‘alternate’ in pop culture: Limits, expanse, rights and wrongs How does one traverse mainstream pop culture? Does queerness lose its identity? Does a queer person carry the Rainbow flag? This is a mere indication of what this session will address Onir – Award-winning Filmmaker best known for My Brother Nikhil and I Am Sushant Digivkar – The Only Gay Pop Star, Model, Actor, Singer And Drag Queen Rudrani Chettri – Transwoman, Model, Actor, starred alongside Neena Gupta in The Last Colour - Long Listed for Best Picture at the Oscars 2020 Navin Noronha – The first openly gay Stand Up Comedian Moderated by Ayushman Aishwarya Aka Lush - Lawyer and drag artist
1300	PANEL 2 The Past, The Present Continuous – Does History Matter? Recording history is not merely critical to research. The past, after all, determines the now and tomorrow. The context of pride, of today, its politics and stories, are all interconnected. Let us see how and question why. Santa Khurai – Queer Activist, Champion of Transgender Rights Pawan Dhall – Author, Researcher & Lead, Varta Trust Jayshree T – Multi-media Producer & Director, Co-Founder, Archive, Memory & Education Trust Maya Sharma – Author, Feminist, Working With Vikalp Women’s Group
1400	PANEL 3 Divide, Minus, Equal To? Queer individuals carry multiple identities of caste, religion, region, disabilities and more. Is to minus these identities okay? Does it lead to equal representation or does it divide? Is sexuality the only determinant of the LGBTQIA+ movement? The panel will engage with these contentious issues. Sadam Hanjabam – Founder, Ya All, Jyotsna Siddharth – Actor, Intersectional Artist, Activist, Writer and India Lead for Gender At Work Shivangi Agrawal – Queer & Disabled Activist, Graffiti Artist - Determined Act Movement Daniel Mendonca – Core Founder, Intersex Human Rights India, TedX Speaker Moderated by Nishadh Mohammed - Editorial Head, TDN; Co-Founder, Sabudana Things
1500	PANEL 4 Sexuality And Gender – Keeping These Stories Alive Can ‘gender to sexuality’ media survive as a ‘service’ or as a ‘business’? Does the community patronise queer-created content? Is there fear of the mainstream or of mainstreaming? This session will look at these questions and a lot more. Sakshi Juneja – Editor of Gaysi Sukhdeep Singh – Editor, Gaylaxy Magazine Japleen Pasricha – Editor, FeminismInIndia Priyakanta Laishram – YouTuber & Filmmaker Moderated by Saransh Sugandh – Filmmaker, Researcher & Queer Performer

	EVENING
1730	PANEL 5 Perspectives, Lenses And Plurality Has the masculine hold on storytelling erased the presence of women and LGBTQIA+? Is written history and mythology guilty of this? Is plurality the answer? This session will engage with these questions with perspectives, the how and why to? Nandini Sengupta – Senior Journalist and Author Seema Anand – London-based Mythologist, Storyteller and Author Pradipta Ray – Queer Filmmaker, Painter, Animation Artist, Visiting Faculty At NID Michiel Baas - Anthropologist & Author Moderated by Rahul Sen – Research Scholar
1830	POETRY Rhyme & Reason 1 Vishal Ghatge
1835	PANEL 5 Diasporic Connections – Influences Over Space And Race Global queer Indians often take desi-ness with them and send back a bit of their world to India. This happens through dance, music, film and art, creating queer spaces that reflect different elements of the world. How this happens and why, is what the panel will address. Kareem Khubchandani – Author, Drag Artist, Assistant Professor Theatre, Dance, Performance Studies, Tufts University Myna Mukherjee – Cultural Producer, Curator, Founder/Director of Engendered Neeraj - Lotus Visual – Owner, Lotus Visual Productions, Supporter for South Asian Queer Films Dhiren Borisa – Dalit Queer Activist, Assistant Professor, Jindal Global Law School Moderated by Sandip Roy – Senior Journalist, Columnist & Author
1930	POETRY The London-based acclaimed queer poet (author of Split) and film scriptwriter (of the to-be released Queer Parivar), uses slam poetry as a means to tell her stories. She talks of her layered existence where geography, religion, colour and her connection with India and Pakistan, define her being in the eyes of others. Amani Saeed in Conversation with Afshan Lodhi-Dsouza, Literature Programme Manager – British Council (This session includes recitations and an interview)
1950	PANEL 7 Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing It isn’t often we talk about love in the context of relationships, what makes them tick, the challenges and joy. This panel is a mix of three couples with different backgrounds and locations, sharing their precious love with us. Raga Olga D’Silva & Nicola Fenton – London-based queer couple Sridhar Rangayan & Saagar Gupta – Mumbai-based queer couple Rituparna Borah & Amrita Tripathi – Delhi based queer couple Moderated by Anwesh Sahoo- Visual Designer, Troy Perry Medal of Pride Awardee, Mr Gay World India 2016

	NIGHT
2100	POETRY Rhyme & Reason 2 Aditya Tiwari
2105	PANEL Transiting Change In A Metro In what has become a historic event of sorts, a metro station in Noida was dedicated to the transgender community. This has led to a few people from the transgender community being employed at this station, giving hope to quite a few. What does this mean to them? What is that journey like? Abhina Aher – Trans-activist working towards empowerment of the community Mahi Gupta – Transwoman working at the Noida Sector 50 Station Moderated by Sumit Pawar - Queer activist, Founder, The Q-Knit
2130	MUSIC John Oinam
2150	PUPPETRY Queering Hans Christian 'And-Her-Sons' Varun Narain
2200	FILM Nowhere A young Palestinian woman crosses the Israeli border illegally to find her long-lost brother, who she hopes will be her ticket to a new life far from the West Bank. When she discovers the truth behind his exiled existence, her dreams of a happy reunion are shattered, and she must face her next steps alone

* Schedule and Timing Subject to change

* Content of Digital & One is for adults and might be misunderstood or misconstrued by people who aren’t aware of gender and sexuality and it’s nuances. The varied voices speaking through the two-day event are experts in their fields or have lived experiences that shape what they say and how they feel. We cannot take responsibility for every word or utterance. Keeping that in mind, we may deny providing any link of access to those who aren’t within the permissible age.

MATINEE
1130	KEYNOTE ONE ON ONE - Dr Shashi Tharoor - Author & Member of Parliament
1200	PANEL 1 The ‘alternate’ in pop culture: Limits, expanse, rights and wrongs How does one traverse mainstream pop culture? Does queerness lose its identity? Does a queer person carry the Rainbow flag? This is a mere indication of what this session will address Onir – Award-winning Filmmaker best known for My Brother Nikhil and I Am Sushant Digivkar – The Only Gay Pop Star, Model, Actor, Singer And Drag Queen Rudrani Chettri – Transwoman, Model, Actor, starred alongside Neena Gupta in The Last Colour (Long Listed for Best Picture at the Oscars 2020) Navin Noronha – The first openly gay Stand Up Comedian Moderator - Ayushman Aishwarya Aka Lush, Lawyer and drag artist
1300	PANEL 2 The Past, The Present Continuous – Does History Matter? Recording history is not merely critical to research. The past, after all, determines the now and tomorrow. The context of pride, of today, its politics and stories, are all interconnected. Let us see how and question why. Santa Khurai – Queer Activist, Champion of Transgender Rights Pawan Dhall – Author, Researcher & Lead, Varta Trust Jayshree T – Multi-media Producer & Director, Co-Founder, Archive, Memory & Education Trust Maya Sharma – Author, Feminist, Working With Vikalp Women’s Group
1400	PANEL 3 Divide, Minus, Equal To? Queer individuals carry multiple identities of caste, religion, region, disabilities and more. Is to minus these identities okay? Does it lead to equal representation or does it divide? Is sexuality the only determinant of the LGBTQIA+ movement? The panel will engage with these contentious issues. Sadam Hanjabam – Founder, Ya All Jyotsna Siddharth – Actor, Intersectional Artist, Activist, Writer and India Lead for Gender At Work Shivangi Agrawal – Queer & Disabled Activist, Graffiti Artist (Determined Act Movement) Daniel Mendonca – Core Founder, Intersex Human Rights India, TedX Speaker Moderated by Nishadh Mohammed - Editorial Head, TDN; Co-Founder, Sabudana Things
1500	PANEL 4 Sexuality And Gender – Keeping These Stories Alive Can ‘gender to sexuality’ media survive as a ‘service’ or as a ‘business’? Does the community patronise queer-created content? Is there fear of the mainstream or of mainstreaming? This session will look at these questions and a lot more. Sakshi Juneja – Editor of Gaysi Sukhdeep Singh – Editor, Gaylaxy Magazine Japleen Pasricha – Editor, FeminismInIndia Priyakanta Laishram – YouTuber & Filmmaker Moderated by Saransh Sugandh – Filmmaker, Researcher & Queer Performer

EVENING
1730	PANEL 5 Perspectives, Lenses And Plurality Has the masculine hold on storytelling erased the presence of women and LGBTQIA+? Is written history and mythology guilty of this? Is plurality the answer? This session will engage with these questions with perspectives, the how and why to? Nandini Sengupta – Senior Journalist and Author (Publishers include Harper Collins and Hatchett) Seema Anand – London-based Mythologist, Storyteller and Author (Aleph Book Company) Pradipta Ray – Queer Filmmaker, Painter, Animation Artist, Visiting Faculty At NID Michiel Baas - Anthropologist & Author (Context) Moderated by Rahul Sen – Research Scholar
1830	POETRY - Rhyme & Reason 1 - Vishal Ghatge
1835	PANEL 5 Diasporic Connections – Influences Over Space And Race Global queer Indians often take desi-ness with them and send back a bit of their world to India. This happens through dance, music, film and art, creating queer spaces that reflect different elements of the world. How this happens and why, is what the panel will address. Kareem Khubchandani – Author, Drag Artist, Assistant Professor - Theatre, Dance, Performance Studies, Tufts University Myna Mukherjee – Cultural Producer, Curator, Founder/Director of Engendered Neeraj -Lotus Visual – Owner, Lotus Visual Productions, Supporter for South Asian Queer Films Dhiren Borisa – Dalit Queer Activist, Assistant Professor, Jindal Global Law School Moderated by Sandip Roy – Senior Journalist, Columnist & Author
1930	POETRY The London-based acclaimed queer poet (author of Split) and film scriptwriter (of the to-be released Queer Parivar), uses slam poetry as a means to tell her stories. She talks of her layered existence where geography, religion, colour and her connection with India and Pakistan, define her being in the eyes of others. Amani Saeed in Conversation with Afshan Lodhi-Dsouza, Literature Programme Manager – British Council (This session includes recitations and an interview)
1950	PANEL 6 Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing It isn’t often we talk about love in the context of relationships, what makes them tick, the challenges and joy. This panel is a mix of three couples with different backgrounds and locations, sharing their precious love with us. Raga Olga D’Silva & Nicola Fenton – London-based queer couple Sridhar Rangayan & Saagar Gupta – Mumbai-based queer couple Rituparna Borah & Amrita Tripathi – Delhi based queer couple Moderated by Anwesh Sahoo- Visual Designer, Troy Perry Medal of Pride Awardee, Mr Gay World India 2016

NIGHT
2100	POETRY - Rhyme & Reason 2 - Aditya Tiwari
2105	PANEL Transiting Change In A Metro In what has become a historic event of sorts, a metro station in Noida was dedicated to the transgender community. This has led to a few people from the transgender community being employed at this station, giving hope to quite a few. What does this mean to them? What is that journey like? Abheena Aher – Trans-activist working towards empowerment of the community Mahi Gupta – Transwoman working at the Noida Sector 50 Station Moderated by Sumit Pawar - Queer activist, Founder, The Q-Knit
2130	MUSIC - John Oinam
2150	PUPPETRY - Queering Hans Christian 'And-Her-Sons' - Varun Narain
2200	FILM Nowhere A young Palestinian woman crosses the Israeli border illegally to find her long-lost brother, who she hopes will be her ticket to a new life far from the West Bank. When she discovers the truth behind his exiled existence, her dreams of a happy reunion are shattered, and she must face her next steps alone

* Schedule and Timing Subject to change

Rainbow Lit Fest –Digital & One

Day 2 – December 6

	MATINEE
1130	KEYNOTE ADDRESS Dr Bibek Debroy – Author, Economist, Chair, PM’s Economic Council
1200	POETRY Rhyme & Reason 3 Shambhavi Dewedi
1205	PANEL 7 In Search Of An Ideal Film Bollywood is guilty of misrepresenting queer life as well as appropriation of LGBTQIA+ narratives. How does a film maintain authenticity? Does a film need to cater to the ‘market’? What is appropriate? This panel will give its perspective on these issues and several other questions that come up from time to time. Tanuja Chandra – Film Director, Writer Gazal Dhaliwal – Film Scriptwriter Alankrita Shrivastava – Film Director, Scriptwriter Faraz Ansari – Film Director, Writer Moderated by Namrata Joshi – National Award-winning Film Critic
1300	PANEL 8 From Then To Now – Better to Bitter, Singular to Plural? From 2001 to now, goalposts have changed, the idea of community has evolved and the way we negotiate the world around us, is very different. Have we moved from unity to a fragmented community? Are we less tolerant of our own? Is calling out and the cancel culture a problem? Hear the views from people who have been there and are there. Anjali Gopalan – Human Rights & Animal Rights Activist, Founder, Naz Foundation Sandip Roy – Author, journalist and columnist Vyajayanti – Transwoman, Founding Member, Telangana Hijra Transgender Samiti Debolina Dey – Writer, Teacher - Lliterature, Ramjas College Moderated by Anushka Jadhav from Gaysi
1400	FILM Do Re Mi Naisha and Shirin meet over a dating app, and decide to get on a video call. Naisha is nervous and conscious because she has never been on a virtual date before, but Shirin is patient and considerate, and quickly makes her comfortable. They have many more video dates, over the course of which they try to compose a song together

	EVENING
1700	FILM Parvaah A short film on lives of lesbian, bisexual and trans-masculine persons during the lockdown.
1705	PANEL 10 Is Home Where The Hurt Is? This is when a home becomes a closet. This is when women to children and those who don’t fit into binaries, suffocate at home. So is home where the heart is? What makes a home? How do you negotiate that space during a pandemic? What is the role of parenting? Listen to the panel as it shares views and contexts on this subject. Saikat Majumdar Author, Professor (English & Creative Writing, Ashoka University Debolina Dey - Writer, Teacher - Literature, Ramjas College Chitra Palekar – Actress, Writer, Founder Member, Sweekar – The Rainbow Parents Jay Anand – Transman, Singer / Songwriter Moderated by Adrija Bose – Associate Editor, News18
1800	PANEL 11 Instinctive Leadership: Shaping The Workplace Culture Is the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ in the workplace only about policy or is it about an inner desire and an instinct that leads to inclusion? Are queer leaders the cheer leaders? Is workplace inclusion and D&I a fad? Get to know some history, practices and stories that led to shaping of inclusive workplaces. Parmesh Shahani – Author & Activist Priya Paul – Chairman, The Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotel Group Ritu Dalmia – Celebrity Chef, Co-owner of Diva restaurants Vivek Sahni – Co-founder and CEO, Kama Ayurveda, Moderated by Nikhil Khanna – Founder, AvianW
1900	FILM The Men Who Speak Gayle Young drag performer Nathan is one of the last people to speak Gayle - a secret language the gay community were forced to invent during Apartheid. He finds out about Louis, an original Gayle speaker living in a conservative desert town in South Africa and wants to put on a performance with him. These men, two generations apart and from different cultural and racial backgrounds have never met - and have no idea how the town will react.
1910	PANEL 12 Poetic Justice Poetry is an understated art of storytelling that conjures up emotions and can inspire people and movements. How relevant is poetry? How queer can it be? Does it invoke sloganizing? Why have politicians feared poets? Engage with poets who put together and contributed to The World That Belongs To Us Dr Akhil Katyal – Author & Poet Aditi Angiras – Poet & Artist Gowthaman Saroja Ranganathan – A law person and writer Santa Khurai – Queer Activist, Champion of Transgender Rights Moderated by Dr Saif Mahmood – Senior Advocate, Supreme Court, Author & Poet

	NIGHT
2000	FILM Forever 17 After his partner of 40 years passed away, memories flood Ricky whenever he tidies up their bed. A flashback shows the love story between Ricky and Roger, and the story re-imagines a future: in 2029, Hong Kong legalises same-sex marriage. The film is still doing the festival circuit and has won several awards including the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2019, KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2020 and the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival 2020
2030	PANEL 13 Court, Courtship, Love and Dignity Courts have become the primary recourse for many issues of dignity and love – interrelated factors of existence. But what comes first – dignity and therefore, anti – discrimination or love that revolves around marriage and recognised unions. How do the Courts see it? And how does one play over the other? Saurabh Kirpal – Senior Lawyer & Author Ritu Dalmia– Celebrity Chef, Co-owner of Diva restaurants Madhavi Menon – Author, Professor of English, Director, Centre For Studies in Gender And Sexuality, Ashoka University Namita Bhandare – Journalist & Writer Moderated by Shivraj Prashad – Public Communication Coach, Founder, Brevis LLP
2200	MUSIC Smruti Jalpur
2215	STAND UP Navin Noronha
2230	MUSIC Leon D’Souza

* Schedule and Timing Subject to change

Rainbow Lit Fest
–Digital & One

Day 2 – December 6

MATINEE
1130	KEYNOTE ADDRESS - Dr Bibek Debroy – Author, Economist, Chair, PM’s Economic Council
1200	POETRY - Rhyme & Reason 3 - Shambhavi Dewedi
1205	PANEL 7 In Search Of An Ideal Film Bollywood is guilty of misrepresenting queer life as well as appropriation of LGBTQIA+ narratives. How does a film maintain authenticity? Does a film need to cater to the ‘market’? What is appropriate? This panel will give its perspective on these issues and several other questions that come up from time to time. Tanuja Chandra – Film Director, Writer Gazal Dhaliwal – Film Scriptwriter Alankrita Shrivastava – Film Director, Scriptwriter Faraz Ansari – Film Director, Writer Moderated by Namrata Joshi – National Award-winning Film Critic
1300	PANEL 8 From Then To Now – Better to Bitter, Singular to Plural? From 2001 to now, goalposts have changed, the idea of community has evolved and the way we negotiate the world around us, is very different. Have we moved from unity to a fragmented community? Are we less tolerant of our own? Is calling out and the cancel culture a problem? Hear the views from people who have been there and are there. Anjali Gopalan – Human Rights & Animal Rights Activist, Founder, Naz Foundation Sandip Roy – Author, journalist and columnist Vyajayanti – Transwoman, Founding Member, Telangana Hijra Transgender Samiti Debolina Dey – Writer, Teacher (literature), Ramjas College Moderated by Anushka Jadhav from Gaysi
1400	FILM Do Re Mi Naisha and Shirin meet over a dating app, and decide to get on a video call. Naisha is nervous and conscious because she has never been on a virtual date before, but Shirin is patient and considerate, and quickly makes her comfortable. They have many more video dates, over the course of which they try to compose a song together

EVENING
1700	FILM Parvaah A short film on lives of lesbian, bisexual and trans-masculine persons during the lockdown.
1705	PANEL 10 Is Home Where The Hurt Is? This is when a home becomes a closet. This is when women to children and those who don’t fit into binaries, suffocate at home. So is home where the heart is? What makes a home? How do you negotiate that space during a pandemic? What is the role of parenting? Listen to the panel as it shares views and contexts on this subject. Saikat Majumdar Author, Professor - English & Creative Writing, Ashoka University Debolina Dey - Writer, Teacher - literature, Ramjas College Chitra Palekar – Actress, Writer, Founder Member, Sweekar – The Rainbow Parents Jay Anand – Transman, Singer / Songwriter Moderated by Adrija Bose – Associate Editor, News18
1800	PANEL 11 Instinctive Leadership: Shaping The Workplace Culture Is the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ in the workplace only about policy or is it about an inner desire and an instinct that leads to inclusion? Are queer leaders the cheer leaders? Is workplace inclusion and D&I a fad? Get to know some history, practices and stories that led to shaping of inclusive workplaces. Parmesh Sahani – Author & Activist Priya Paul – Chairman, The Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotel Group Ritu Dalmia – Celebrity Chef, Co-owner of Diva restaurants Vivek Sahni – Co-founder and CEO, Kama Ayurveda, Moderated by Nikhil Khanna – Founder, AvianWE
1900	FILM The Men Who Speak Gayle Young drag performer Nathan is one of the last people to speak Gayle - a secret language the gay community were forced to invent during Apartheid. He finds out about Louis, an original Gayle speaker living in a conservative desert town in South Africa and wants to put on a performance with him. These men, two generations apart and from different cultural and racial backgrounds have never met - and have no idea how the town will react.
1910	PANEL 12 Poetic Justice Poetry is an understated art of storytelling that conjures up emotions and can inspire people and movements. How relevant is poetry? How queer can it be? Does it invoke sloganizing? Why have politicians feared poets? Engage with poets who put together and contributed to The World That Belongs To Us Dr Akhil Katyal – Author & Poet Aditi Angiras – Poet & Artist Gowthaman Saroja Ranganathan – A law person and writer Santa Khurai – Queer Activist, Champion of Transgender Rights Moderated by Dr Saif Mahmood – Senior Advocate, Supreme Court, Author & Poet

NIGHT
2000	FILM Forever 17 After his partner of 40 years passed away, memories flood Ricky whenever he tidies up their bed. A flashback shows the love story between Ricky and Roger, and the story re-imagines a future: in 2029, Hong Kong legalises same-sex marriage. The film is still doing the festival circuit and has won several awards including the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2019, KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2020 and the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival 2020
2030	PANEL 13 Court, Courtship, Love and Dignity Courts have become the primary recourse for many issues of dignity and love – interrelated factors of existence. But what comes first – dignity and therefore, anti – discrimination or love that revolves around marriage and recognised unions. How do the Courts see it? And how does one play over the other? Saurabh Kirpal – Senior Lawyer & Author Ritu Dalmia– Celebrity Chef, Co-owner of Diva restaurants Madhavi Menon – Author, Professor of English, Director, Centre For Studies in Gender And Sexuality, Ashoka University Namita Bhandare – Journalist & Writer Moderated by Shivraj Prashad – Public Communication Coach, Founder, Brevis LLP
2200	MUSIC - Smruti Jalpur
2215	STAND UP - Navin Noronha
2230	MUSIC - Leon D’Souza

* Schedule and Timing Subject to change