Kashish Pride Film Festival returns to the suburbs for its 16th edition

Mumbai’s much-loved LGBTQ+ film festival, the KASHISH Pride Film Festival, is returning to its suburban roots as it gears up for its 16th edition from June 4 to 8, 2025. After several years in the heart of the city, the festival is moving back to the western suburbs, with screenings at a multiplex in Andheri West and the opening ceremony at an auditorium in Bandra.
KASHISH, which began in 2010 in a suburban theatre, spent its initial three years in Andheri before relocating to a large single-screen venue in South Mumbai, the iconic Liberty. The festival now embraces a hybrid model with screenings at both suburban and city venues — four days of films will also be showcased at a cultural centre in Marine Lines.
“With the rising costs and doors of funding agencies shutting down across the globe, numerous film festivals have been stopped dead in their tracks,” said Sridhar Rangayan, founder and festival director. “KASHISH has always believed in innovation and has stayed in tune with the times. We were the first film festival in India to go completely online with a new slate of films when the pandemic hit the world. Now with the new challenges, the move to the suburbs will hopefully infuse youth and vibrancy to the festival – both in the audience demographics and the festival team composition. We are also moving closer to where the film industry is, and we hope to have greater participation of industry professionals.”
The theme for #KASHISH2025 is Love = Peace, a powerful message that highlights the healing and unifying potential of love. “Peace isn’t just the absence of conflict — it’s the presence of love,” said Saagar Gupta, the festival’s artistic director. “Love for who we are, for each other, for the spaces we belong to, and for every identity that makes us whole.”
This year’s poster, unveiled today, is designed by queer visual and performance artist Saman Me Kala from Auroville. Describing the inspiration behind the artwork, Saman said, “The theme Love = Peace deeply resonated with me. The emotion came from an inside voice — from the consciousness — where identity, duality, and the freedom to simply be all met. The butterfly translates as a symbol of transformation, softness, and strength. I’m grateful and excited to share this with the world!”