The acclaimed and award-winning Hindi feature film Kuch Sapney Apne, centred around a gay couple and their family members, shot in India and Sweden, is all set to screen at the DC South Asian Film Festival (DCSAFF) on Saturday, September 6th at 4:00 PM. The #Newsdesk reports.

Kuch Sapney Apne, the award-winning gay family drama directed by Sridhar Rangayan, will screen at the DC South Asian Film Festival 2025 in Washington DC. Featuring Shishir Sharma and a talented ensemble, the film explores queer love and family conflicts with celebrated music by Vishal Bhardwaj and Rekha Bhardwaj. After winning 14 international awards and screening at 26 festivals worldwide, the film continues to resonate globally as it seeks a streaming platform release.

Kuch Sapney Apne is part of a diverse line-up of South Asian shorts, documentaries, and feature films screening at the 13th edition of the festival.  The film’s director Sridhar Rangayan, along with lead actor Shishir Sharma, have already arrived in Washington DC and will take part in the opening night red-carpet gala on Friday, September 5th. They will present their film, interact with audiences, and participate in the Q&A following the screening.

“We are thrilled that our LGBTQ focused film is part of mainstream South Asian film festivals like the DC South Asian Film Festival this week, and earlier at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival (USA), UK Asian Film Festival (UK), and Jagran Film Festival (India) last year. After a successful theatrical run in 10 Indian cities for a week, and 26 film festivals in our kitty as well as 14 international awards, we are still waiting for a suitable OTT (streaming platform) release. In the meanwhile, we continue our march across film festivals and community screenings, to reach the audiences who have been giving very favourable reviews for the film,” said Rangayan, the director.

Rangayan and Sharma will also lead a Masterclass titled Script to Screen on Sunday, September 7th at 10:30 AM. The talk will delve into the challenges and triumphs of independent filmmaking. Making an independent feature or short film is a daunting task anywhere in the world—more so in India, where thousands of films are produced each year across numerous languages. This discussion will explore what it takes to write a script, produce it, act in it, and secure a release that makes a lasting mark.

A Sensitive Tale of Relationships

Kuch Sapney Apne is a romantic drama about Kartik and Aman’s relationship, which is tested when one of them has a fling that leads to a domestic spat. At the same time, Kartik’s parents’ relationship begins to unravel after Damodar and Vasudha have a falling out. The story raises poignant questions: Will these couples be able to resolve their differences? Can their relationships stand the test of time? The film is a sensitive and heartwarming exploration of relationships—queer or otherwise—and what happens when love is challenged by uncomfortable truths.

Written and directed by Sridhar Rangayan and Saagar Gupta, the film stars Shishir Sharma, Mona Ambegaonkar, Satvik Bhatia, and Arpit Chaudhary in the lead, alongside Abhay Kulkarni, Veenah Naair, Yamini Singh, Yateen Karyekar, and Teodor Wickhenberg in strong supporting roles. The soundtrack features three beautiful songs sung by Rekha Bhardwaj, Vishal Bhardwaj, Shaan, Shashwat Singh, and Sushant Divgikar, with one of the tracks composed by the maestro Vishal Bhardwaj himself. Lyrics are by Saagar Gupta, who recently won the Best Lyricist award at the Ideal Film Festival in Maharashtra.

Building on the Success of Evening Shadows

Kuch Sapney Apne is the much-anticipated sequel to the acclaimed film Evening Shadows (2018), which was a major success with 27 awards and 82 film festival screenings. Evening Shadows had a release on Netflix and is currently streaming on Book My Show Stream. By continuing the legacy of bold LGBTQ+ storytelling, Rangayan and Gupta reaffirm their commitment to spotlighting underrepresented voices in Indian cinema.

Tickets for all the programs at the DC South Asian Film Festival are available at https://dcsaff2025.eventive.org/