Indian LGBTQ feature film wins its 19th Award in Mexico

The Hindi LGBTQ feature film, 'Evening Shadows', directed by Sridhar Rangayan, is setting up new records, winning its 19th international award at the recently concluded International Queer Film Festival Playa Del Carmen in Mexico.
Lead actress of the film Mona Ambegaonkar won her 4th award as Best Actress for her powerhouse performance as a mother in a small town grappling with her son’s sexuality and rising up against patriarchy.
Speaking about her win, the actress said, “That people not only saw our film there but also connected with it enough to give us an award just speaks to the universality of the topic tackled by the film. I am personally so thrilled by the thought that if I ever make it to Mexico, some people may actually know my work there! What an honour. Thanks to the Universe!”
She had won Best Actress for the same film earlier at the Rainbow Film Festival, UK; OMovies Film Festival, Italy; and OUT at the Movies Int'l LGBT Film Fest, USA.
Excited by the record setting win for an Indian LGBTQ feature film, director Sridhar Rangayan said, “When we made the film with a micro budget, we wanted to make a simple film about acceptance by families in India. The film was meant mainly for Indian audiences. But the amount of love and appreciation the film has earned worldwide has left us stunned. This is the 19th international award and perhaps we are creating a new record for Indian LGBTQ feature film, or perhaps even for an Indian feature film!”
Screening at the International Queer Film Festival Playa Del Carmen in Mexico was the film’s 72nd international film festival screening. At the same festival, the Best Film Award went to another Indian film Khejdi, directed by Rohit Dwivedi, and starring popular actor Ashish Sharma in the role of a transgender person.
The film stars Mona Ambegaonkar, Ananth Mahedevan, Devansh Doshi and Arpit Chaudhary in lead roles. The film’s song ‘Surmaee Shaam’ composed and sung by Shubha Mudgal and written by Saagar Gupta is gaining a lot of attention too.