Swara Bhasker and Divya Dutta play two people in love, against the wills, whims, and stereotypical ideas of society around them. The actresses are part of Faraz Arif Ansari's Sheer Qorma (2020), along with Shabana Azmi, Kalyanee Mulay, Priya Gulati, and Jitin Malik. The film is yet to have a theatrical release, and is currently preparing for a festival circuit.
The trailer begins with a casual dinner conversation, where Bhasker's Sitara is asked about her first visit to India. 'They have been trying to get me to visit India ever since we started dating,' she lets slip. Therein lies the key conflict of Ansari's film. The moment also marks the first time a character is shown self-identifying themselves as non-binary in Indian cinema. Dutta's Saira is set to be one of those rare characters on the Hindi film screen.
Non-binary refers to a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine. Considering the complexity of the identity itself, Sheer Qorma makes for a very interesting trailer. Sensitive, visually rich, and set to soothing music, it raises the moving question of discriminating against the LGBTQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer) community.
The problems though lie deeper. The anger of Azmi's conservative mother, fighting her daughter for what she thinks is a sin, and the resulting breakdown adds drama to the trailer. Malik plays the understanding brother trying to bridge differences. The trailer also has an emotional impact through the portrayal of the vulnerability brought out by Dutta's Saira.
Ansari had earlier directed the short film, Sisak (2017), which was nominated for the Satyajit Ray Film Award. It was also billed as the first silent queer love story in Indian cinema.
Watch the trailer of Sheer Qorma below.