Manav Kaul and Amruta Subhash starrer short film Phir Kabhi based on the complexities of Gay and Heterosexual marriages is headed down under at IFFM 2022... BY Sulena Majumdar Arora

Phir Kabhi (The Way We Are) marks the directorial debut of Nihit Bhave who also wrote the film. It is a short film featuring two of the most talented actors, Manav Kaul Amruta Subhash.

The film follows the story of a husband who recounts the days of being in school, being different from other boys, and realizing that his body reacts to men the way other boys' bodies react to women.

A wife realizes that she has always let other people dictate what she eats, what she wears, what she studies, who she marries, and how she has sex. As the couple finds words to own their truths, they start searching for words to tell them to each other.

Nihit Bhave, when decided to make a short film, he knew that it had to tackle the issue of belonging to the LGBTQ community in India. Identifying himself as a gay man, he needed to talk about men in India who do not have the vocabulary to come out of the closet, let alone live their authentic lives.

When asked by Amruta Subhash, the leading lady of the film, "It was a great experience to work with both Nihit and Manav. I remember I met Nihit for the first time on the sets of Choked which he had written. And since then, my first impression was always that I was curious about him, he was so sharp with his writing skills.

But for me to decide whether to be part of a project or not, the most important thing is of course the content. And when we met again, for the narration of Phir Kabhi, my instant impression was that it really was beautifully written and I instantly connected with the story.

I loved the way he handled the subject with such grace. I’m grateful that our film is getting this recognition. Hoping that the Australian audiences enjoy and relate to the film."

Indian Film Festival of Melbourne feels proud to showcase such complex yet important narratives for the global audience this year.

IFFM will be taking place, physically and virtually, from 12-20 August 2022 in person and 13-30 august virtually. After the pandemic, this is the first time it has come with its physical event, since 2020 and 2021 was done virtually.

It is one of the biggest Indian film festivals that takes place outside of India and is also the only Indian film festival backed by the Australian government. The film festival will showcase more than 100 critically acclaimed movies.