Schedule 2025 – Rainbow Lit Fest

Rainbow Lit Fest – Queer & Inclusive

December 7 & 8, 2024

Gulmohar Park Club, New Delhi

Day 1 - 6 DECEMBER 2025

The Rainbow Lit Fest – Queer & Inclusive is for adults. We don’t have any child-friendly sessions. Please make note of this to avoid an awkward situation of being refused entry.
The languages spoken will be mostly English and Hindi. Given our association with the Mariwala Health Initiative, there will be sign language interpreters at both stages through out the two days of programming.

venue:	The Playground
	The hosts for the day are Raj Gohil & Ujjwal Singh
11.00 – 11.20 am	Opening Ceremony
11.25 – 12.15 pm	PANEL MORALITY AND SEXUALITY Sexuality is a natural phenomenon and an instinct whereas morality is a social construct. This construct, dominated largely by men, has imposed itself on sexuality, choice, love and so on. What is this history? How does it impact the queer spectrum? Does it cage men too? Is the idea of gender and sexuality changing? Sindhu Rajasekaran, Vani Viswanathan, Jaya Sharma and Prachi Gangwani will be in conversation with Anish Gawande ___________________ Giveaway Alert Ask A Question, You Will Get More Than An Answer! A Dessert Voucher worth Rs 800
12.20 – 1.00 pm	SPOTLIGHT TALK Being A Man, Yaar! Nikhil Taneja has worn many hats over the years. However, after co-founding and leading Yuvaa, a purpose-driven youth media, research and impact organisation, he has created a space for socially conscious content, starting meaningful conversations among and about Indian youth, particularly on mental health and gender. From there emerged his very popular podcast, Be A Man, Yaar, which queered the idea of masculinity, questioning patriarchy and the toxic behaviour of men. Nikhil Taneja will be in conversation with Sharif D Rangnekar
1.05– 1.45 pm	A SPECIAL FOCUS En-Thai-cing Thailand Thailand has a history of queerness. Culturally there is a history to refer to. There is also a connection with the sub-continent given the fact that Buddhism was born in this region. Yet, nothing is absolutely perfect. What is it to be queer in Thailand? What are these histories that determine the current and possible future? What is it to access the literary space as a queer writer? How does art play out? How do queer identities mingle in society? Apinuch Petcharapiracht and Oat Montien will be in conversation with Abhishek Subhash ___________________ Giveaway Alert Ask A Question, You Will Get More Than An Answer! A Meal Voucher worth Rs 3000
1.50 pm – 2.45 pm	PANEL Love Is Relationships and all that goes into having one, doesn’t carry a singular definition. They don’t need to follow the ‘established’ norms of who can fall in love with whom. Age is truly just a number and age gaps don’t matter. Committed relationships can be with more than one partner involved. Love is queer after all! Arundhati Ghosh, Madhav & Anand, Shivangi & Samraddh and Sougata & Mayank in conversation with Manak Matiyani.
2.50 – 3.30 pm	PANEL Touch, Feel, Hurt: Boundaries Around The Body Pleasure is a right,so is intimacy. Yet, when you seek any of this, it is for you to decide when, how and with whom. It is your space, after all. Your consent is required. What happens when these boundaries are crossed, when consent is ignored? What is that pain and lingering trauma? Why do many tend to remain silent about such matters? What measures can be taken to assert boundaries? Harish Iyer, Manavi Khurana and Ravi Bhatnagar in conversation with Manak Matiyani This panel is co-curated with
3.35 – 3.50 pm	FILM The Night Queen Curation Partner:
3.55 – 4.45 pm	PANEL Queer Time: How Queer People Experience Ageing Ageing for LGBTQIA+ people is a nonlinear process, challenging the traditional heteronormative script — school, career, marriage, children, retirement. Queer lives unfold differently. They are shaped by coming out, transition, chosen families, access to work, and survival in a world that hasn’t always made space for us. Many trans people face the reality of shorter life expectancies. This is further complicated by ageing in the near-absence of traditional family and institutional support systems. What does aging look like in such a context? How much do the support systems we build in our 30s and 40s determine not only how we age, but who among us gets to age at all? Hasina Khan, R Raj Rao, Rudrani Chettri and Rumi Harish will be in conversation with Ankur Paliwal This session is Co-sponsored and Curated by
4.55 – 5.40 pm	SPOTLIGHT TALK The World of Dollywood, Love & Choice Dolly Singh is a trail-blazing content creator, actor and storyteller. Most notably, she became the first Indian creator to win the Instagram Rings Award (2025) a global recognition from Instagram (Meta), celebrating creators who take creative risks and shape culture in unique ways. Along the way, she has queered the idea of what a woman can be. She has been an ally to the queer world. She has spoken openly about love, choice and even mental health. And in her journey of an ‘alternate’ way, she has created Dollywood. Listen to her as she opens up about her life in a dialogue with Alexander Balakrishnan.
5.45 – 6.35 pm	PANEL From Underwear To Outerwear And The Realities of Identity In the world of queerness, underwear or outerwear is deeply connected with one’s sexuality and gender expression. Yet, is there a market for queer folks when clothing is made to cater to gender stereotypes. Where does a non-binary person find what they need? How comfortable is one in stores where clothes are sold under the male and female category? Where does a person transitioning to assert their gender go? Is the marketplace changing? Akassh Agarwal, Ekta Sonawane, Gaurav Jagtiani and Rudrani Chettri will be in discussion with Shivraj Parshad
6.40 – 6.55 pm	AN SHOWCASE Thoughts For 2026 This is the national release and unveiling of AvianWe’s calendar which focuses on love, resilience, community, expression and identity. Kass Sells, the CEO of APAC and Global Partners at We, will be present with Nitin Mantri, President (APAC) We. Communications & Group CEO at (Avian We.)
7.00 – 7.45 pm	PANEL Are Women The Best Allies Women, in general, are up against the same system of social hierarchies that queer folks are. Given this assumption and the common oppression by patriarchy, aren’t they an ideal foil for queer people? The fact that the male gaze erased their presence in storytelling, history and literature, isn’t that common ground enough to be an ideal ally? But is common ground and common problems enough for an alliance to be formed? Madhavi Menon, Mohua Chinappa and Urvashi Butalia will be in conversation with Sindhu Rajasekaran ___________________ Giveaway Alert Ask A Question, You Will Get More Than An Answer! A Meal Voucher worth Rs 3000
7.50 – 8.10 pm	AN SHOWCASE Who Haunts Delhi? Forgotten & Forbidden Queer Histories In all its much famed monuments and associated history, there is a lesser-known, spectral side, a haunting side. Given how history has been written, such stories remain unwritten. Delhi’s one such story is about Jamali Kamali and its queer connection. The founder of Itihasology and author, Eric Chopra takes you through the haunted history of this monument through visuals and researched narratives.
8.15 – 8.50 pm	PREMIERE Don’t Interrupt While We Dance The director, Anureet Watta, will be in conversation with Alexander Balakrishnan Curation Partner:
9.00 – 9.45 pm	MUSIC 25K Curation Partner:

venue:	The Courtyard
	The hosts for the day are Raj Gohil & Ujjwal Singh
3.10 – 3.40 pm	SPOTLIGHT ON HISTORY Humsafar at 30+ The Humsafar Trust (HST) was born in 1994, at a time when laws were against us, where queer was hardly part of our vocabulary, where safety was mostly imagined. Listen to Suhail Abbasi share with us the ups and downs and realities of HST’s three decades of existence. He will be in conversation with Sandip Roy.
3.45 – 4.20 pm	SPECIAL SCREENING Hills Don’t Dance Alone Curation Partner:
4.25 – 4.55 pm	FILM THE LIME GREEN SHIRT The film director, Kaushik Ray, will be in conversation with Vivek Mansukhani Curation Partner:
6.45 – 6.55 pm	FILM Ghar Curation Partner:
7.00 – 7.50 pm	PANEL Home And Homelessness The idea of home being a safe place isn’t the case for all. It is a space that may have suffocated you. It is a space you can be thrown out of, leaving you homeless and in search of a home, the need to recreate one. What do such circumstances do to a person, their mind? What happens to their ideas of family, of siblings, of home cooked meals, of safety. How do they relate to a world where laws and society base most notions of life and living to a ‘blood family’. Yet, are accepting families home ‘enough’ Gautam RamChandra, Hash Brownie, Suhani Tandon and Yash Sharma will be in conversation with Aishwarya Ayushman

Day 2 - 7 DECEMBER 2025

The Rainbow Lit Fest – Queer & Inclusive is for adults. We don’t have any child-friendly sessions. Please make note of this to avoid an awkward situation of being refused entry.

The languages spoken will be mostly English and Hindi. Given our association with the Mariwala Health Initiative, there will be sign language interpreters at both stages through out the two days of programming.

Venue:	The Playground
	The hosts for the day are Raj Gohil & Ujjwal Singh

12.20– 1.00 pm	PANEL Kinks And The Politics Of Kinkiness Kinks are part of erotic life, the life of many people. They are subversive, challenging normative ways of intimacy, pleasure, love-making and pain. Yet, even in a queer world, this ‘form’ of queerness is stigmatised. Why does this happen? Why is kinkiness pleasure to some and hated by some? How does the isolation of ‘kinksters’ lead to mental health problems for them? Jaya Sharma, Ancilla L and Dr Umang Kochhar will be in dialogue with Rituparna Borah ___________________ Giveaway Alert Ask A Question, You Will Get More Than An Answer! A Dessert Voucher worth Rs 800
1.05 – 1.55 pm	PANEL Stories From The Margins, Stories That Speak Queer To be queer and from the margins, surviving the caste and class hierarchies, is queerness at the core. Dalit Bahujan queer experiences don’t sit at the edges of the queer movement; they’re central to understanding what queerness in India really is. What does it mean to experience and live this reality day in and day out? How does one overcome the hurdles that are systemic, social and within your ‘own’ queer and urban world? Is there a way to re-imagine the world we live in through these lived realities? Bhumika Saraswati, Khushwant Karkan and Shravani Bogale will be in conversation with Sudipta Das ____________________ Giveaway Alert Ask A Question, You Will Get More Than An Answer! A Meal Voucher worth Rs 3000
2.15 – 3.00 pm	SPOTLIGHT TALK Being Shahana Shahana Goswami is not just a critically acclaimed actor as she is known for her guts, straight-forwardness and ability to speak her mind freely. In many ways, she has redefined what it is to be a woman, what it is to speak up and why being authentic matters a lot! She will be in conversation with Puja Talwar discussing life, love, choice and existence.
3.05 – 3.50 pm	PANEL Legality, Justice And Hierarchies Laws are to be followed, of course. Justice is said to be for all. But who writes these laws? Does the male lens on legalities, depriving women and queer folks of their legitimate rights and roles in society? Does social capital and access to law be a deterrent to economically weaker sections? Does the ‘able’ bodies people at the helm forget the disabled while claiming an equal world? If these factors play out across the judiciary, legislature and media, how then do the laws and judgements become more just and equitable? Disha Wadekar, Saurabh Kirpal, Dr Satendra Singh and Urvashi Butalia will be in conversation with Bhadra Sinha
3.55 – 4.30 pm	BOOK LAUNCH The author, Sunil Mohan, will be in dialogue with Abhishek Subhash ___________________ Giveaway Alert Ask A Question, You Will Get More Than An Answer! A Dessert Voucher worth Rs 800
4.45 – 5.30 pm	PANEL A Question of Authenticity Honest and unadulterated stories on queer life are missing be it cinema or OTTs. Even if the needle is shifting in our favour, it is slight and occasional. Why is this the case? In seeking an honest portrayal do we need collaborations? Do we require queer directors and people behind the lens or in front of the lens? How do we get to authenticity? Ayesha Sood, Siya Malasi, Vivek Mansukhani and Kaushik Ray will be in conversation with Bishan Samaddar ___________________ Giveaway Alert Ask A Question, You Will Get More Than An Answer! A Meal Voucher worth Rs 3000
5.35 – 6.20 pm	DELHI SCREENING Tara The film director, Ashutosh Shankar; producer, Zena Sagar and lead actor, Siya Malasi, will be in conversation with Mayura Saavi. The interaction is supported & Co-curated by Curation Partner:
6.25 – 7.00 pm	ONE ON ONE Up Close With The Gay Michelin Star Chef, Suvir Saran The Chef, author and podcaster will be in conversation with Shivraj Parshad discussing his personal and professional life as a gay man
7.05 – 7.45 pm	PANEL Pleasure, Intimacy And The Sense Of Smell When we talk about chemistry, equations and the intimacy between two people or more, we often refer to the mind, body and soul. We talk about beauty in the eyes of the beholder. We talk about the physical and going beyond it, to the mind and the stimulation of the mind. We talk about taste too. But what about smell? The smell of a body, of a perfume, of a smoker’s breath, of hair oil and more? How do you satisfy someone through aromas and fragrances? What about the food we feed the ones we are attracted to or love? How do we respond to aromas? Dr Ambarish Satwik, Blossom Kochhar and Dr Neha Vermani will be in dialogue with Eric Chopra
7.50 – 8.05 pm	DRAG Georgie
8.10 – 8.25 pm	DANCE Sapphiceaters
8.30 – 9.00 pm	THE RAINBOW AWARDS FOR LITERATURE & JOURNALISM, 2025 Gifting Partners: Process Partner: Your Host Is Shivraj Parshad
9.05 – 10.00 pm	MUSIC The Aahvaan Project Curation Partner:

Venue:	The Courtyard
	The hosts for the day are Raj Gohil & Ujjwal Singh
11.00 – 11.45 am	PANEL Queering Universities: Finding Space, Finding Belonging University is seen to provide a significant foundation for any person. While one aims to learn and grow and imagine a future for oneself, being in a college or a campus is also about existence, love, choice and expression of the self. And this expression, given the laws and the constitution we have, is political in its own way. How does one traverse this space? How safe are our campuses and colleges? What is it to be queer as a student? Sruti, Saptarishi Bairagi, Rio and Pakiz Khan will be in conversation with Vaivab Das
11.50 – 12.50 pm	OPEN MIC After going through a large number of entries, we have selected a bunch of poets and storytellers who will share their ideas of life and queerness through their own formats of verse and prose in Hindi, English and Haryanvi. In partnership with
12.55 – 1.30 pm	SPOTLIGHT ON HISTORY Queering Literature R Raj Rao, has created a legacy of work in the literary world of poetry and prose. He has been a researcher, attached to different global universities and put out as many as five novels, two books of short stories and contributed to numerous collections of poetry and prose. What was his journey like given how he expressed itself at a time when queer expression was rare? What was that world of literature and the one he lives in now? Chittajit Mitra will be in conversation with him, exploring his journey of several decades. ___________________ Giveaway Alert Ask A Question, You Will Get More Than An Answer! A Dessert Voucher worth Rs 800
1.35 – 2.10 pm	PANEL Social, Anti-Social Social media had been embraced as a democratic space where many of us could express ourselves, create visibility and contribute to representation of our diversity. It became a means to inform, educate, while creating a reference point for many of us. It also became a habit for many content creators, the compulsion to deliver. It also exposed these creators to hate and now a growing restriction on freedom of expression. What does this mean to us as a community and to content creators? What does it mean to our sense of self? How does it impact our minds? How do we negotiate this space? Hameeda Syed, Katyayini Saksham, Riju Banerjee and Vaivab Das will be in conversation with Yash Sharma
2.50 – 3.30 pm	PANEL Mind At Work Much like a home, the workplace needs to be safe. Of course, if you are without a home or need to create one, the workplace becomes even more critical in one’s life. But to perform and build a career, skills aside, a queer person needs a space where one’s mental health is rattled and disturbed. They need a culture that is truly mindful of each other’s identity, space and lived realities. What does it take for the queer mind to work peacefully? What does an organisation need to do? Are policies enough? Harish Iyer, Sukanya Hazarika and Zoya will be in conversation with Sonal Giani
3.35 – 4.25pm	PANEL Does Artistic Expression Heal? If we consider art in its purest form, it is an extension of the self. It can be a means to tell a story, to express pain and a way to offload the burdens we carry. It can be a relief, cathartic and at times, it also might lead to more anxiety as one recalls the trials they have been through. Yet, potentially, it is a strong and subtle means by which we inform others of how we live, love, exist and attempt to co-exist. Ritu Shree, Oat Montien, Shruti Garg and Vikram Kolmanskog will be in conversation with Shivraj Parshad
4.50 – 5.40 pm	PANEL Bringing Up (To Speed) Parenting Parenting is not only about shared responsibilities between a mother and a father. It isn’t only about accepting a queer child for who they are. While such acceptance is critical, isn’t parenting about creating an eco-system where children flourish, bloom and explore their feelings for love and attraction without feeling hate and self-doubt? How does one go about being parents? How do parents dilute gender roles into fluid existence? How does that help a child not feel unwanted? Parvati Sharma, Air Cmdr Sanjay Sharma, Dr Shelja Sen and Sougata Basu will be in conversation with Sharmishta Ghosh. ___________________ Giveaway Alert Ask A Question, You Will Get More Than An Answer! A Meal Voucher worth Rs 3000
5.45 – 6.15 pm	FILM QUEER PARIVAR Curation Partner:

Disclaimer: Schedule is subject to the change.

The views and opinions expressed by the speakers and performers, or any person associated with the Rainbow Literature Festival – Queer & Inclusive (RLF) in individual capacity or during the festival are theirs. They do not reflect the views or positions of the RLF, the Dwijen Dinanath Arts Foundation (DDAF) or any entity associated with them. Neither the RLF nor the DDAF will be responsible or liable for any views that are false, controversial, defamatory or erroneous. The liability for all views expressed shall vest with the expressor of the said views.