Nov 14 2026 to Nov 15 2026 11 a.m.

Where

Bangalore International Centre

7 4th Main Rd, Stage 2, Domlur 560071

Event Description

SamaBhav, meaning equanimity, is a two-day film festival on gender, identity, sexuality, and social change. Screenings of curated short, documentary, and feature films are interspersed with conversations with filmmakers, protagonists, activists, and experts. How often do we get a room where these questions can be asked openly?

Now in its eighth edition, the festival travels to cities and districts across India and beyond, reaching young people and their educators. Curated by Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA), the films address gender-based discrimination and violence, patriarchy, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and the meaning of masculinity. The discussions that follow invite audiences to examine their own biases and prejudices, in a safe space for young men, young women, and non-binary youth to speak about subjects rarely raised in classrooms or at home.

Schedule

Day 1 | Sat, Nov 14 | 11am – 8:30pm

Theme: Gender, Voice and Resistance

11am – 11:30am : Inauguration with Ammu Joseph (Senior Journalist), Anshulika Dubey (Film Producer), Deepak Nair (Festival Facilitator) and Harish Sadani (Festival Director).

11:30am – 12:05pm : A Poem for Bilkis Dadi | 33 mins | Hindi, English, Tamil, Manipuri | India

12:05pm – 12:50pm :  Screenings Set 1 – Companionship, Voice and Expression

You Want Company | 19 min | English | India

Auratein (Music Video) | 7 min | Hindi | India

Baithi Hai (Music Video) | 5 min | Hindi | India

12:50pm – 1:20pm : Panel 1 – Whose Voices Are Heard? Gender, Agency and Representation
Unpacking testimony, women’s voices, visibility and the politics of representation with Harish Sadani and Meher Suri (Co-Discussant).

1:20pm – 2:35pm : Screenings Set 1 – Continued

The First Film | 24 min | Hindi | India

Naam Kya Hei Tumara | 18 min | Hindi, Marathi | India

2:35pm – 3:20pm : Break

3:20pm – 4:30pm : Screening Set 2  – The Body, Desire and Gendered Lives

RuBaRu | 30 min | Hindi, Marwari | India

Body Count | 6 min | Hindi | India

Fursat | 7 min | Bengali, English | India

Auto Queens | 30 min | Tamil | India

4:30pm – 5pm : Panel 2 – The Body as Evidence: Desire, Intimacy and Social Control
Exploring the ways bodies, relationships and desires are represented, regulated and made visible or invisible with Meher Suri, Harish Sadani and Sraiyanti (Filmmaker).

5pm – 5:30pm : Tea

5:30pm – 7:15pm : Screening Set 2 – Continued

Greeshmant | 21 min | English, Hindi | India

Iss Taraf | 10 min | Hindi | India

Queering India | 63 min | English | Australia, India

7:15pm – 7:45pm : Panel 3: Queer Lives and the Right to Belong
Reflecting on identity, freedom, acceptance and belonging with Vinay Chandran (Swabhava Trust) and Shrey Shah (Filmmaker). 

7:45pm – 8:30pm : Closing Remarks

Day 2 | Sun, Nov 15 | 11am – 8:30pm

Theme: Masculinity, Intimacy, Power and Collective Resistance

11:00am – 12:00pm : Majma | 54 min | Hindi | India

12:00pm – 12:30pm : Panel 1 – Masculinity in Public: Power, Vulnerability and Belonging
Examining masculinity, public space, social power and everyday encounters with Sudeep Pagedar (Writer).

12:30pm – 1:15pm : Screenings Set 3 – Memory, Childhood and Everyday Life

Finding Nabi | 22 min | English | India

Pehli Tarikh | 23 min | Hindi, English | India

1:15pm – 2:00pm : Break

2:00pm – 3:45pm : Screenings Set 3 – Continued

Lonely Shadow | 27 min | Tamil | India

The Day Iceland Stood Still | 20 min | English, Icelandic | Iceland

3:45pm – 4:15pm : Panel 2 – From Personal Experience to Collective Change
Tracing how individual experiences of gender connect with solidarity, resistance and social transformation with Sudeep Pagedar and Hareeshh Ram G (Filmmaker).

4:15pm – 5:15pm : Tea

5:15pm – 8pm : Homebound | 117 min

8pm – 8:15pm : Closing Remarks by Harish Sadani

In collaboration with:

Venue: Seminar Halls
Speakers

Ammu Joseph
Senior Journalist
Ammu Joseph is an independent journalist and author based in Bangalore. Among her publications are six books: two on gender & media, three on gender & literature, and one on gender & war/“terror”. She has contributed to a number of other books and publications, both Indian and international. She was South Asia coordinator for the Global Research on Women in the News Media and has been closely involved with the Global Media Monitoring Project (Who Makes the News?) in India. She was also co-author of “Shift Focus: Women Shaping the Narrative in Media and Entertainment,” a report on the status of women and trans persons who identify as women in southern Indian film industries (Women in Cinema Collective). She has served on the visiting faculty of several institutions of media education and is a founder-member of the Network of Women in Media, India. 

Anshulika Dubey
Film Producer
Ex-McKinsey, Entrepreneur, Film producer and a recipient of Forbes Asia Under 30, Anshulika has produced several Indian films such as Mandela (Netflix, National Award), Aamis (Tribeca, Sony Liv), and Once Upon a Time in Calcutta (Venice Orrizonti, El Gouna). She also runs a skill-building initiative called The Writers INK Institute, supported by the Ford Foundation, for emerging writers in India. With her media company ‘Indiespirit Ventures’, she aims to empower new talent in Indian cinema. Her latest film ‘How to not have sex‘ is the official Indian adaptation of the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Richard Linklater’s ‘Tape‘, which is set to release in 2026. 

Deepak Nair
Educator, Researcher & Gender Justice Practitioner
Deepak Nair is an educator, researcher, and gender justice practitioner from Kerala whose work engages with masculinities, gender relations, and social transformation through academic inquiry, education, and community-based interventions. He is currently pursuing his PhD in Comparative Literature at Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady, with an interdisciplinary academic background spanning literature, gender studies, and social engagement. Deepak is a core group member and programme coordinator at MAVA in initiatives that engage men and boys in conversations around gender equality, violence, and non-violent masculinities. He was also instrumental in organising the Female Film Festival of Kerala for Kerala Sthree Padana Kendram, contributing to feminist cultural engagement and public dialogue through cinema. His academic interests include gender and sexuality, with particular research engagement in homosexuality in Kerala, queer identities, marginality, and human rights.

Harish Sadani
Festival Director
Mr. Sadani is the Cofounder and Executive Director of MAVA. A pioneer in the space on Gender and Masculinities in India, he has engaged and mentored thousands of adolescent boys and young men across India on redefining masculinity & building healthy relationships. A TEDx Speaker, Aspen Fellow and a National Consultant on Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace, Mr. Sadani has been invited by UN Women & global forums to build capacities on addressing issues of gender-based violence against women.

Meher Suri
Researcher
Meher Suri is a researcher and evaluation consultant working at the intersections of gender justice, masculinities, violence prevention, public health and social change. At Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA), she contributes to programme development, monitoring and evaluation, resource mobilisation and institutional strengthening, with a focus on engaging men and boys in challenging patriarchal norms and fostering equitable, non-violent relationships. Her work spans gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, labour precarity and social exclusion, with experience across organisations including PHFI, ICRW, Martha Farrell Foundation and The YP Foundation. Grounded in intersectional feminist, trauma-informed and participatory approaches, she is committed to translating research into community-led action and institutional change.

Sraiyanti
Cinematographer & Director
Sraiyanti is a cinematographer and director whose work blurs the line between observation and storytelling. Trained in cinematography at Bournemouth University, she brings a visual sensitivity shaped by her background in design and her roots in Tamil Nadu, where film and politics have long intersected. Sraiyanti has directed Tambram Cooking, a non-fiction short and her work as a cinematographer include the feature films Gargi and Detective Ujjwalan and a short film The Feast directed by Rishi Chandna.

Vinay Chandran
Executive Director, Swabhava Trust
Vinay Chandran is Executive Director of Swabhava Trust, a non-governmental organisation in Bangalore. Established in 1999, Swabhava works on providing access to support services for LGBTQIA+ populations. Swabhava’s programmes include the Sahaya Telephone Helpline (080-22230959), documentation and research, training and workshops, and support spaces for various LGBTQIA+ groups. Vinay is a peer counsellor on the Helpline and set up the projects in Swabhava. His research on healthcare perspectives on SOGI communities has been published in “Nothing to Fix: Medicalisation of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” (SAGE/Yoda Press). He is currently working on a follow-up book on healthcare discrimination in southern India.

Shrey Shah
Filmmaker
Shrey Shah is an independent trans man filmmaker and photographer with over two decades of experience in socially engaged storytelling. His work explores identity, resilience, and marginalized voices through documentary and visual narratives. The short film ‘Iss Taraf’ marks his debut as a writer, director, and lyricist in narrative cinema, bringing his documentary sensibility into fiction.

Sudeep Pagedar
Writer
Felicitated by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam with a National Award for Creative Writing, Sudeep Pagedar, is a TISS alumnus and an accomplished writer. Sudeep’s poetry on conflict is taught in the United States of America. He has also given a TEDx Talk on creative writing. As an artiste, Sudeep trained at Prithvi Theatre under stalwarts including Sanjana Kapoor, Neeraj Kabi, and Atul Kumar. As a creative writing and communications trainer, he has conducted Masterclasses and sessions at IIM Bengaluru, BITS Goa and Hyderabad, Christ University, and the Bangalore School of Speech and Drama (BSSD), and other renowned institutions. Sudeep is also a seasoned creative solutions consultant, with close to a decade and a half of experience in the domains of content and communication. Up until recently, he was Senior Manager for content marketing at the unicorn startup ‘Glance’ which itself is a subsidiary of India’s first unicorn – InMobi. Over the years, Sudeep has worked across the public, non-profit, and private sectors, having worked with organisations such as YourQuote, MEDICI Global, Embibe, ADAPT (formerly The Spastics Society of India), and HIPA (Haryana Institute of Public Administration), among others.

Hareeshh Ram G
Filmmaker
Hareeshh is an independent filmmaker from Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu. He has directed and edited more than five zero-budget short films.  Lonely Shadow is his first professionally funded short film and an important milestone in his journey as a filmmaker. He is deeply influenced by realist cinema and drawn to stories about ordinary people, unspoken emotions, gender inequality, caste and religious discrimination, and the quiet moments that shape our lives.