Queerguru’s Ris Fatah reviews ‘WE ARE FAHEEM AND KARUN’ the first ever Kashmiri queer film screening at BFI FLARE, London

Karun (Akash Unnimenon), a handsome young security officer from Kerala, is stationed in a remote village in Kashmir. One day he meets Faheem (Tawseef Mir), a charming, equally attractive, student returning from college to visit his family, who stops his motorbike at Karun’s checkpoint. The two men fleetingly lock their beautiful eyes, before parting company. A mutual romantic interest has, however, been sparked. This gradually blossoms as Karun occasionally bumps into Faheem when picking up food from his father’s catering business and the two men follow each other on TikTok.

There is no queer visibility in rural Kashmir. The culture is poor, very religious, brutal and macho, with few dreams realised, so the outlook for their romance is bleak. Things are not helped by Faheem’s homophobic brother Zaid (Mir Salman) who has anger management issues. Other issues include the fact that Faheem is Muslim and Karun is Hindu, and that there are outbreaks of violence nearby in the disputed territories between India and Pakistan, with Faheem and Karun’s associates on opposing sides of the feud.

Produced and directed by the multi-award-winning Onir, We are Faheem and Karun is the first Kashmiri queer film. Shot in the stunning alpine-like mountain border area between India and Pakistan, this gently-paced romantic drama is unpredictable and combines stunning cinematography with a handsome cast and a subtle yet powerful soundtrack. The backing sound effortlessly combines the noise of running rivers, lullabies, gun-shot and traditional music to set the scenes. The cast gel well together, particularly the romantic chemistry between Faheem and Karun. Mir grew up in Kashmir, so his casting as Faheem in particular seems very relevant. A special mention also goes to Sana Javeid, who plays Saira, Faheem’s mother. She was never given any other options in life other than to be married off young and to produce children, so has experienced the same barriers to dream fulfilment.

The setting of the film in the beautiful, yet steep and forbidding mountains of Kashmir mirrors the beauty and forbidden nature of their relationship. The harshness of the climate and mountains contrasts with the gentleness of the local people – a gentleness that is, however, quickly subdued any time local conflict breaks out. The mountains surround the village, both protecting and suffocating its inhabitants – a useful metaphor for queer rural life in many parts of the world. Themes of love, identity, repression, poverty and conflict shape this film, the visible and the invisible sharing equal billing. There’s a powerful underlying message about the invisibility of queer people and women in religious rural areas. Potent storytelling, highlighting marginalised voices. Highly recommended.

 

Queerguru’s Contributing Editor Ris Fatah is a successful fashion/luxury business consultant  (when he can be bothered) who divides and wastes his time between London and Ibiza. He is a lover of all things queer, feminist, and human rights in general. @ris.fatah