The trailer of Sridhar Rangayan’s upcoming feature film Evening Shadows (Surmaee Shaam) which was released recently at the 8th KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival has gone viral with around half a million views and hundreds of shares across the world. It is raising a lot of hopes among gay and lesbian persons as well as parents who feel a film like this can be an eyeopener. A lot of hope and expectations are pinned on this film which is the story of a son coming out to his mother in a small town in India, and how she grapples with this facet about her son.

“This is the most important film I've been waiting for. My parents went through a lot of struggle in Yavatmal, a small town in Maharashtra, when I came out in 1997. A film like this would have been a big help... Almost 20 yrs since then this film I strongly believe will still make a big impact and change lives”, said Hrishi Sathawane, an out gay man who recently got engaged to his boyfriend.

“Hope Evening Shadows is a box office hit. Such an important message for all parents of LGBTQ+ kids”, said a supporter on social media.

Starring eminent actors like Ananth Mahadevan, Mona Ambegaonkar, Veena Nair, Yamini Singh and Abhay Kulkarni and debutants Devansh Doshi and Arpit Chaudhary, the film is expected to unravel the issues that are common in a middle-class household where patriarchy and conservative social mores dominate.

“The film is seriously anecdotal. And more important when viewed in the precincts of the orthodox Brahmin community which cannot accept non-veg food let alone a gay son in the house. The script is reflective of a society refusing to recognize the existence of another gender and the wall the ‘other’ has to surmount to be allowed to exist", said Ananth Mahdevan who plays the patriarch Damodar.

Mona Ambegaonkar who plays Vasudha in Evening Shadows, known for her powerhouse performances, said “From script to final edit my 7 year journey with this film has been mostly about waiting for things to fall into place. During this time I have seen many changes to the social and legal identity of the LGBTQI community. A mainstream film like Evening Shadows takes the issue directly into the throng of ‘common people’ and sits them down in front of layers of traditions, pre-conceived notions, biases, and finally, love; and asks them to think.”

Actor Devansh Doshi who plays the central character Kartik says, "What caught my attention about the film is that it's a beautiful story about the evolution of a mother-son relationship. It is such a great opportunity for me as an actor to portray the wonderful character of Kartik who is far far away from the stereotypically written gay characters in our films.”

Arpit Chaudhary, was recently seen in the series Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi, plays Aman in the film Evening Shadows. He said, “This film sends a strong message for every child to have the courage to be open to their parents about their sexuality, irrespective of what they think the outcome might be, as life cannot be lived in denial. On the same note, this film also sends the very same message to the parents to have an open mind and accept their children for who they are.”

"We are absolutely thrilled with the response the film’s trailer is getting on social media. It is an important film that will surely touch hearts and waken minds", said Sridhar Rangayan, the film’s director who won the National Award for editing for his film Breaking Free in 2016.

The film is in post production and is expected to be ready by year end.

Trailer on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EveningShadowsFilm/videos/296819830764620/

Trailer on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iDpqasfWF9k