Project Bolo - Indian LGBT Oral History Project

About
Project Bolo is an Indian LGBT Oral History project. Project Bolo means Project Speak up (in Hindi)

In Project Bolo, 20 LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) persons in four cities are interviewed and it offers an inside view into their lives, views and accomplishments. These in-depth video interviews are a journey through their lives - their growing up years, sexual explorations, coming out to family/friends/media, their romances and relationships, their fearless career paths and their pioneering accomplishments.

This multi-generational Indian LGBT Oral History Project also flagposts important milestones of the Indian LGBT movement from the early 60s to today - where did people meet, cruising places, the early efforts at forming groups in Mumbai and New Delhi, the first gay newsletter, the first lesbian book, uncovering historical evidence of same-sex literature and iconography, the formation of LGBT organizations and various advocacy efforts leading to the historic Delhi High Court verdict on July 2nd 2009 decriminalizing homosexuality.

Project Bolo Vol1 contains interviews with 20 LGBT persons from Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi, Lucknow & Hyderabad: Aditya Bandopadhyay Ashok Row Kavi Betu Singh Bindumadhav Khire Dalip Daswani Gauri Sawant Geeta Kumana Giti Thadani Hoshang Merchant Jehangir Jani	Lachi Laxmi Narayan Tripathi Manvendra Singh Gohil Nisha Parmesh Shahani R Raj Rao Ruth Vanita Saleem Kidwai Shivananda Khan Sunil Gupta Each of them purport to bring a different slice of life experience, a different piece of history, a different tile of India… to form a mosaic of Indian LGBT life, history and movement. Project Bolo is produced by The Humsafar Trust in association with Solaris Pictures and supported by UNDP (India). Producer for The Humsafar Trust is Vivek Anand and Concept, Interviews and Direction is by Sridhar Rangayan. The Project Bolo video-interviews and films can be seen online at www.projectbolo.com, alongwith profiles of the all the 20 interviewees. They will be also available on DVD for libraries and archives. A book containing the interviews is to be published soon. Director of Project Bolo

Sridhar Rangayan Sridhar Rangayan is an Indian writer, filmmaker and film festival director who has also been one of the front rank leaders in the LGBT movement in India and has contributed immensely towards the growth of awareness about sexual minorities in India, through his writings, public talks, films and film festivals. His organization Solaris Pictures, in collaboration with The Humsafar Trust, has produced award winning films that deal with HIV/AIDS, MSM & Tg issues and PLHAs: The Pink Mirror, Yours Emotionally, 68 Pages, Bridges of Hope, Project Bolo, Aa Muskuraa, etc. He is also the Founder Trustee and also currently serves on the Board of The Humsafar Trust, one of the earliest and largest CBO working with rights and health of gay and transgender communities in Mumbai.

Producer of Project Bolo

The Humsafar Trust The Humsafar Trust works with sexual minorities providing counseling, HIV testing and treatment facilities. Its center for Excellence (CEFE) emphasizes on research, capacity building of communities and media advocacy. The Advocacy unit of Humsafar works on creating awareness and sensitization on issues of sexuality and HIV/AIDS through street plays, IEC materials and films. www.humsafar.org Associate Producer of Project Bolo

Solaris Pictures Solaris Pictures is the only Indian film production company that has consistently been making award winning films on LGBT themes. Its award-winning films like 'Gulabi Aaina', 'Yours Emotionally' and '68 Pages', all dealing with gay and transgender stories, has pushed the boundaries in queer portrayals in Indian films. www.solarispictures.com Project Bolo is Supported by

UNDP (India) UNDP is committed to help India achieve the global Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as the national objectives articulated in consecutive Five-Year Plans. The goal of the organization is to help improve the lives of the poorest women and men, the marginalized and the disadvantaged in India. www.undp.org.in