In 2022, when the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had rejected the script of one of his feature films in the We Are anthology, a disappointed but resolute Onir had told mid-day, “If you tell an artiste no, he will still make the film” (May not have the resources to fight long legal battle, Jan 24, 2022). Two years on, the result is for all to see. The director is ready with We Are Faheem & Karun, a queer love story set against the turbulent backdrop of Kashmir. As the feature film, the first instalment in Onir’s We Are series, gears up for its première at the Dharamshala International Film Festival, Fire (1996) filmmaker Deepa Mehta has come on board as the presenter.   

Mehta says she was deeply moved by the film’s exploration of emotions and societal themes. “We Are Faheem & Karun’s themes of love, friendship, and duty are profound and universal. It is essential to highlight the heartbreak and humanity in geopolitical conflicts. Stories like this are so important right now,” she says, batting for the movie that stars actors Tawseef Mir and Akash Menon.