Solaris Pictures is an Indian film production company that has achieved international recognition for its bold and path-breaking films.
It produces films that go beyond mere entertainment, to emotionally engage the audience and initiate dialogues about underserved issues. Health and sexuality, human rights, rights of the disabled, women rights, issues around sexual minorities are some of the underlying topics around which the company tries to weave films that are humorous, dramatic and engaging.
Over 100 hours of television that included 12 one-hour telefilms and TV soaps, the company also produced several corporate films and ad films for leading Indian MNCs.
Its first short film ‘The Pink Mirror – Gulabi Aaina’ (2003) , a film on Indian transsexuals. Has become a cult film, with Official Selection in over 70 international film festivals in 32 countries. Though Banned in India, the film has received wide critical acclaim for its’ sensitive and humorous portrayal’ of the closeted Indian gay scene, winning the Jury Award for Best Film in Fire Island and also in France. It is also being used by US Universities as part of their sexuality and gender courses.
The company’s next film ‘Yours Emotionally!’ (2006) was a step forward in voicing Indian queer narratives. Co-produced with Wise Thoughts, a London-based production house, the film explores angst of a gay British-Asian in UK and gay men in small town India. Opening to great critical reviews at several international festivals, it has been released on home video in US by Waterbearer Films. The film has been described as one of the few films to ‘‘give a clear and concise picture of gay Indian life with great emotion and honesty’ (Amos Lassen on Amazon). The film is said to ‘combine Bollywood with avant-garde gay cinema, awash with colours reminiscent of Wong Kar Wai films’.
Solaris Pictures has recently completed a 90 minute film ‘68 Pages’ (2007) a film on stigma and discrimination faced by HIV positive people and how they too need hope and love. Co-produced with The Humsafar Trust, an NGO working with sexual minorities, the film is produced with seed money from DFID, UK.
