Mumbai, Dec 5 : Acclaimed filmmaker Kiran Rao believes India’s independent cinema is “on the cusp of a global moment.” She also feels platforms like the Tasveer South Asian Film Festival & Market (TSAFF & Market) are crucial to accelerating that shift.
Ahead of Tasveer’s first-ever India event, a two-film showcase in Mumbai on December 8, Rao calls the initiative “an important cultural bridge” connecting South Asian storytellers with global audiences.
The Mumbai showcase will feature two Oscar-qualified South Asian films: Holy Curse by Snigdha Kapoor and Humans in the Loop by Aranya Sahay, the latter presented by Rao. Based in Seattle, Tasveer is the world’s only Oscar®-qualifying South Asian film festival and has spent over two decades championing under-represented voices across the diaspora. Kiran Rao says she was immediately struck by Humans in the Loop when she first watched it at Whistling Woods.
“What stayed with me was Aranya’s clarity and confidence as a storyteller,” she recalls. “The film explores something incredibly timely: the human labour behind AI, the erasure of indigenous knowledge systems, and the imbalance in representation of the global south in building these tools. It’s urgent, moving, and deeply empathetic.” A long-time advocate for independent cinema, Rao says platforms like Tasveer can help dismantle the divide between festival success and mainstream visibility.
“Any film that finds its audience can do well,” she says. “The challenge is access, reaching that audience. For that, we need a more cohesive ecosystem that supports independent creators at every stage.”
She adds that Indian films often fall short at global awards not because of a lack of merit, but because of limited campaign resources.
“Winning at the Oscars requires artistic strength, yes, but also visibility and robust outreach,” she says. “Our films are powerful; we just need to help them travel.”
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