Omar In Goa Times

Mr. C.V. Reddi Co-Owns Omar By Contributing in the Rs. 1 Lakh+ category

“With every bud that blossoms a miracle takes place… As petals open one by one to reveal the flower's face”

Onir along with the entire Team- Omar thanks Mr. C.V.REDDI from Chennai for contributing in the Rs. 1 lakh+ category and co-owning Omar. Thank you Tulir for being the bridge and helping us connect.

Omar is someone caught in the noose of a well planned trap under the guise of section 377. And helping him untangle the same is YOU.

Thanks to You, Omar will be released from the clutches of discrimination and hostility soon.

Will The Depiction Of Gays In Hindi Films Change Post Decriminalization Of Homosexuality? :: Onir Speaks To Sakal Times

Cinema is a great medium of expression, for the cine goer it is the object of desire, for the cine maker it is the subject of the heart, rather a subject that touches the heart. The portrayal of homosexuals in Indian cinema as caricatures has been a trend, if I may so say. The Landmark Delhi high court ruling about section377 that decriminalizes sex between two consenting adults irrespective of gender would build the alleyway to the high road of equality.. but will it have any positive change in the depiction of gays in Hindi Cinema???

Read the article to know what Onir opines regarding this and do drop in a comment about what your view...

"Pratyay Gender Trust" Partners With Omar

Paving the way for an equal society - Pratyay Gender Trust commits and strives to make a difference. It gives us immense pride to share with you that Pratyay Gender Trust has partnered with Omar. We are honored.

Team Omar thanks Pratyay Gender Trust.

Thanks Nameeta Premkumar Nair for contributing and co-owning Omar

Second Contribution:

Guys in literally no time since we received the first contribution we got another one. Nameeta Premkumar Nair from Mumbai has contributed for Omar and Afia. Her contribution is second for the film and falls in the Rs 1,00,000 - Rs 15,00,000 category.

Thanks a lot Nameeta for believing in us.

Contributor Testimonial - Ram Badrinath

Ram Badrinath on how he got to know about Omar and what made him contribute

I came to know about Abhimanyu through Water No Ice which i subscribe to and was very intrigued by the micro financing concept for films. It has always remain with me how Shyam Benegal financed Manthan through 2 rupee donation by milk farmers in the 70's. That approach decouples a film maker from the cudgels of "corporate" mentality and babus. Allows the film maker to focus on making the film and the web emerges as a force for good art

best of luck.

First Contributions for Omar

Great News:

While we were too tied up even to make an official call on the web for Omar we had a pleasant surprise in waiting. Yes, I am talking about first contribution for Omar(the second short film by Onir).

We'd like to thank Shobhana and Ram Badrinathan from Mumbai for taking the initiative and being the first one to contribute for the film and setting a precedence.

Let's see whose next :)

Why Afia?

Early this year I bumped into my friend Rima Kohli at Prithivi Theatre, Juhu, Mumbai. It is always fun to meet Rima who I always remember for the wonderful time I had with her in DC and New York. The hours we spent walking around Manhattan discovering the city were full of stories. Rima for me is this amazing energetic girl who is travelling across the world working on various NGO projects. I am always jealous of the kind of work she does and the places she goes to. Currently she is working with women in AFGANISTHAN.

So meeting her for me is always a pleasurable experience as I listen to her stories and imagine myself doing all those amazing thins some day. Meeting her was unexpected. I did not know she was back from New York and currently in Mumbai. After the exclamation of joy and hugs Rima started to talk.... and this time it was another story...

For two hours I was listening to her speech less, I could see a film unfold in front of my eyes. That night I could not sleep. This was a story that was exciting. Next day I called her. I told her I want to make a film inspired from her story and for that I needed to meet her again. I needed more details. She said YES!

Thus AFIA was born. AFIA in Arabic means vigour, vitality, Divine protection and fire.

AFIA is the story of a girl who returns from her training in Switzerland and starts working in the NGO sector. She discovers hugs misappropriation of funds and to her horror discovers everyone around her right to the white boss in Switzerland is connected.

A huge amount of money comes in every year from across the world into this sector. A large chunk of it however never reaches its destination. This film talks about an area that not too many people are aware of but pretty common. This flm asks for accountability.

AFIA will be shot in MUMBAI and DELHI. After “TERE BIN” in “BAS EK PAL” Mithoon and I will once again work together.

COME JOIN US AND BE A PART OF “AFIA”

- Onir

Saahiel on how Omar happened

Upcoming Actor Saahiel Sehgall who plays the role of Omar on "how he got involved with the project"

Well so where do i start...ok... there was this program on sony pix called the gateway project for upcoming directors....judged by Ashok Amritraj, Anurag Basu and Rajat Kapoor...i'd done a short film for one of the directors in the top eight as the lead...a really talented upcoming director called David!...now he had networked with Onir on facebook...(we all know how active onir is on facebook!! ;-))...

Now luckily for me David had really liked me and was in touch with me so as soon as he got to know that Onir was casting for his next movie...Kill Chhabra...he asked me to send him my pictures and profile which he in turn sent across to Onir.

Onir liked my pictures and so i got in touch with him and he asked me to come down for a meeting and then eventually an audition. A couple of days after the audition i was on my way to Bangalore to celebrate New Year's when i got a message from Onir saying that they'd really liked my audition and would get in touch with me soon once they took a final call. Finally around the 1st week of January i got a call saying they wanted me aboard and he sent me a copy of the script to go through and take a call.

Frankly i didn't even want to read the script....i was very excited and it was a big opportunity for me so all i wanted to do was sign the dotted line as soon as possible! Once i said i was on we figured out the details and i signed on with Anticlock films for a two film contract!

The first one being Kill Chhabra! But Kill Chabbra got postponed due to some circumstances and then Onir told me that in the meantime he's planning to make a couple of shorts and so i expressed a desire to be a part of those and he said that he would get back to me if there was a role that he thought suited me!

A couple of months later i was chatting with him while he was in germany on a break...writing the scripts and he told me about Omar...as soon as i heard it i was excited coz i've always wanted to do intelligent cinema and play a variety of interesting characters...He told me that he was planning on auditioning for it but if i agreed he wouldn't have to...i was thrilled with his confidence in me...i immediately agreed but he asked me not to rush in and go through the script first since it was a bold part and a bold script!

So once i'd gone through the script...i got back to him even more excited and eager than before!...so that's how i got to be OMAR!!

As far as the experience goes so far...it's been incredible knowing both Onir and Sanjay...the first time i met them to sign the contract and stuff they made me feel totally at ease and they helped me clear out all the doubts i had as a newcomer about the contract n stuff and also were very flexible and asked me if i needed any changes to be made and got them all done. They are both absolutely down to earth individuals who i think are hard to come by these days and especially in our industry.I feel absolutely comfortable and at home whenever i go down to the anticlock films office for a meeting or a script reading or something.

Onir has always kept me in the loop with every single change that happens with the projects. Unfortunately i haven't had the chance of working together yet but that will change very soon come this august and i'm really looking forward to that. And i'm sure there will be many more such opportunities in the future.To a mutually rewarding and enriching relationship.

Team Omar. Cheers!

Pics from the Music Recording

Music Director: Vivek Philip

Sanjay, Kartik, Saaheil, Onir and Vivek

Amitabh, Vivek and Kartik

Aankhein kuch Keh Rahi... - the song being recorded.

Why Omar :2:

2ND JULY 2009 will perhaps remain a landmark day for Human rights activists in India. This is the first time a court as senior as the Delhi High Court has given a decision on homosexuality. A ruling that dismissed Article 377 that criminalised consensual sex between two adults. The Gay community across the country celebrated as they no longer would be considered as criminals because of their identity.

Of course there is noise made from certain religious quarters.... This being against our culture and how this is going to destroy our social fabric and what is going to happen to procreation. I wonder what is it in our culture to keep killing each other for temples and mosques, is it in our culture that children get sexually abused, is it our culture to beat up women having a quiet drink at a pub, it is our culture to unzip and pee all over the country, is it our culture to shit in public.... I feel angry.

Culturally and in different forms of animal and plant life homosexuality has existed from time immemorial. Also the argument about procreation is so stupid. As if the entire heterosexual population is overnight change their sexual preferences because the law is no longer valid!
In this new scenario what’s the significance of OMAR. Omar is a film that incorporates this important historical day in the script. Omar is a story of fear and acceptance and a desire to love freely. Even though homosexuality has been decriminalised, society will not overnight accept Gay men and women with open arms. There are laws against Dowry and Child labour.... we all know the true story.

The change in law will be a positive step towards respect and acceptance.... but it’s a long journey. Omar as a film wants to create a space for discourse and acceptance.

The other day someone commented “The Gay community must be happy”. I told him “ Any civilised human being should be happy”

With this I introduce you the young talented actor who will be OMAR. Saahiel Sehgall.



While The ABHIMANYU team leaves for Bangalore for the shoot on 16th July.... Contribute and become a part of OMAR which we plan to shoot in Mumbai august 2009.

--- Onir