By Soumoshree Mukherjee
The acclaimed Hindi feature film “Kuch Sapney Apne,” a family drama exploring queer relationships and generational conflicts, is set to screen at the 13th edition of the DC South Asian Film Festival (DCSAFF) on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 4 p.m.
Directed by noted filmmaker Sridhar Rangayan and co-written with Saagar Gupta, the film has been praised for its sensitive portrayal of a gay couple navigating love, betrayal, and family expectations. The narrative interweaves the story of Kartik and Aman, whose relationship is shaken by a momentary fling with the strained marriage of Kartik’s parents, Damodar and Vasudha. At its heart, the film asks whether relationships, queer or otherwise, can endure the test of difficult truths.
Rangayan and lead actor Shishir Sharma, who plays a pivotal role in the drama, have arrived in Washington D.C. to represent the film. The duo will walk the red carpet at the festival’s opening night gala on Friday, Sept. 5, and join the post-screening Q&A with audiences on Saturday.
“We are thrilled that our LGBTQ-focused film is part of mainstream South Asian film festivals like DC South Asian Film Festival this week, and earlier at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival (USA), UK Asian Film Festival (UK), and Jagran Film Festival (India) last year,” said Rangayan. “After a successful theatrical run in 10 Indian cities, 26 film festivals, and 14 international awards, we are still waiting for a suitable OTT (streaming platform) release. In the meantime, we continue our march across film festivals and community screenings, to reach the audiences who have been giving very favourable reviews for the film.”
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In addition to the screening, Rangayan and Sharma will lead a masterclass titled “Script to Screen” on Sunday, Sept. 7, at 10:30 a.m. The session will highlight the challenges and triumphs of independent filmmaking, particularly in India’s crowded film industry. From writing and producing to acting and distribution, the discussion aims to provide insights into what it takes to bring an indie film to life.
“Kuch Sapney Apne” features a stellar ensemble including Mona Ambegaonkar, Satvik Bhatia, Arpit Chaudhary, Abhay Kulkarni, Veenah Naair, Yamini Singh, Yateen Karyekar, and Teodor Wickhenberg. The soundtrack showcases celebrated voices like Rekha Bhardwaj, Shaan, Shashwat Singh, and Sushant Divgikar, with music contributions from Vishal Bhardwaj.
The film is a sequel to Rangayan’s earlier success “Evening Shadows” (2018), which won 27 awards and screened at 82 international festivals before streaming on Netflix.
Tickets for all DCSAFF programs are available at dcsaff2025.eventive.org.