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

Why Omar?

I am back to Mumbai after inaugurating the Kolkatta Annual LGBT film festival( 12th to 14th June 2009). I am overwhelmed by the experience of the last few days. The city and the people are just so warm and amazing and of course the food rocks.
When I decided to come for the LGBT film festival some people told me “you are very brave”. My answer was “I am not going to Afghanistan.(Not that that is something that would have stopped me either!), and why should I be insecure about going to a film festival that celebrates good cinema and love.

The film festival venue was Max Muller Bhavan. A venue that is special for me. I started my journey as a film maker way back in 1990 at this same place. It felt so good to once again see familiar faces. Sit in the same lawn and sip hot coffee over cinema. The charm is the same, the people as loving.

Later at the auditorium I was pleasantly surprised to see it packed. There were people sitting on the stairs and waiting outside to be allowed in. The organisers were already thinking of multiple venues for the next year. I watched young men sitting holding hands, women leaning against each other smiling and not worried about what the world would say. All they desire is the right to love without fear.

That is what brings me to our short film OMAR. Omar is again a film based on real life stories that we got from the research material Vikram Doctor sent us. Its a film that shows how the police misuses their power and blackmails Gay men by using article 377.
Article 377 , a law by which homosexuality is criminalised in India. When I look around myself I see so much hatred. I see divide because of religion, caste, class, colour and gender. And I wonder why anyone should have a problem with two adults expressing their love. After all love is a positive energy, and it does not harm anyone. On the lighter note. Neither do we need to panic about what will happen to procreation and the future of the universe. After all looking at the way the world is going we could do with some population control if we have to save the world.

OMAR is a film about unheard voices. Voices that society refuses to acknowledges. Omar is about the right to love. It’s about the right to freedom and right to self respect.

-  Onir

OMAR speaks up against gay extortion!

Omar reveals the nexus between the police and Male Sex Workers to blackmail and abuse gay men.

In India because of the archaic law  by the British which has been long discarded in UK homosexuality is criminalized by law under article 377, whereas any man caught in a homosexual act can be imprisoned for life. This law is very often used by the police to harass and extort money from gay men.

OMAR tells the story of how because of fear of society and law Gay men are very often get blackmailed and are scared to do anything about it. This film is based on real life stories and incidences. It questions the law and a society where the concern should be addressing the deep and growing violence in society but decides to all up in arms against an expression of adult consensual love.

Omar believes that independent cinema exists to give a voice to those working against the tide and outside the system.  

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OMAR is one of five short films directed by Onir to tackle important issues ignored by mainstream Indian cinema. Our idea is to release each film for educational /awareness /festival purposes and eventually compile all five short films into one release for the general audiences.

These topics are too important to let slide into the shadows. We at Anticlock Films call upon individuals, corporate houses, and NGOs who share in our indignation to join our cause in shedding light upon such daily tragedies. We want this project to be a completely independent, community endeavor free from studio criteria like star-power and opening weekend sales. This is a movement towards cinema that has content- entertains by way of enriching oneself.

We at ANTICLOCK FILMS offer you an opportunity to be a part of a process of the making of a film, to be a part owner of a film. You can do this my contributing monetarily for the making of the film. To that end, we’ve established three different ways to help:


• Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 – Acknowledgements in the end credits( Treated as donation/pledge)

• Rs 25,000 to Rs 100,000 – Return of your contribution at the time of the final film release and acknowledgement in the end credits
• Rs 100,000 to Rs 15,00,000 – Acknowledgements in the beginning titles of the film and proportionate share in the profits.

Total budget of each short film is – Rs 30,000,00 (Rupees thirty lacs)

Funds in Place by Anticlock Films – Rs 15,000,00 (Rupees fifteen lacs)

Please spread word and help support a film that wants to make a difference. Thank you.

Omar has been nominated in the new category of Best Educational Movie,Triangle Media Group (UK)Global Award Nominations for 2009 on basics of script.