Special Screening of 'Waiting in Wilderness' at Prasad Labs, Hyderabad

HYDERABAD'S FIRST INDEPENDENT ENGLISH FEATURE FILM FOR A CAUSE:

Cinema is undoubtedly the most powerful medium of art, as it encompasses 24 out of the 64 traditionally identified art forms. But until 5 years ago, Indian Cinema production always remained exclusive to some families and companies across India - who had earlier dared to taste this 'once forbidden fruit' ! With the sweeping revolution in technology and even the distribution system, today any individual can make a cinema on his/her cell phone and distribute freely through the YouTube... Welcome to the age of independent cinema !

'New-age Cinema' is need of the hour for Indian cinema to move out of cliched Hero-Heroine-Villain formats & song-fight formulas - in search of grey pastures to 'Explore the Unexplored' and also 'Reach the Unreached' !!.. Just as a Sanskrit poet once said : "Only an artiste can reach the depths of dark areas - where even the rays of the mighty Sun cannot penetrate !".... This is what inspired Vinaayak Kalletla, a Researcher and an Educationalist to take to cinema as a serious profession. It all began in the year 2008, when Vinaayak produced a film : "My Journey from Me to We" which highlighted 'social service' as the most satisfying human experience - as a notch above human relationships ! This film was screened in several schools and colleges across Hyderabad and inspired many young adults to take up 'causes' that don't even cost them a dime but bring immense joy not only to themselves, but also to the others ! The 'Youth Assembly of India' was an offspring of this film that 'Celebrated Service' as the most happening thing among the youth of Hyderabad... Having tasted the power of this medium, Vinaayak was inspired to take up cinema even more seriously - to further the 'causes' that were always close to his heart. He went to a Film School in 2009 - to learn Screenplay writing & Direction and also did a Diploma in Film Making from the New York Film Academy in 2011. He made a couple of short films and is also currently working with a senior director of Tollywood - Mr. Kodi Ramakrishna, who is making a Biopic on Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Incidentally Vinaayak has graduated from Sri Sathya Sai University and has spent several years in the proximity of his Mentor - Sri Sathya Sai Baba - who has always inspired Him to make a difference to the others !

India is a land of Diversity & Plurality - Openness & Catholicity. India is the only country that had long ago introduced the mantra : "Lokaah Samasthaah SukhinoBhavanthu" to humanity. "Let all the Worlds in this Universe be Prosperous" - we have been praying... We respect all religions,we respect people of all castes, creeds, communities, regions, religions, languages ! We have enacted laws to safeguard the interests of the weakest of the weak in our society. We empathise with persons who are impaired, challenged, disabled and have even passed laws to address all those "challenged persons" as "differently-abled"! But... why have we always stopped shy of acknowledging the needs of 'sexually-different persons' ?? Is it simply because No Scientist has till now openly certified that homosexuality is a 'Genetically created Orientation' and 'Not a Sexual Deviation' by Choice or a forced Habit - misunderstood by many ?? ....

After being a witness to the 'personal agonies' of a few friends whose sexual orientation has been different from what is called 'Normal'- Vinaayak decided to do what the scientific community of our country failed to do till now !! ... He has made his debut feature film addressing the issues of the LGBT community - many of whom are living in the closet and suffering silently from the 'Lack of Love' of a Soul Mate to care for them !

Even when this film was being made, a student of the EFL University in Hyderabad committed suicide on March 8 2013, unable to face the ridicule of his peers over his sexuality !... When the oscar-winning Hollywood film - 'Milk' (2010) was released in Hyderabad on a single screen, it hardly ran for a day with 5 to 6 persons in attendance, even though it has been researched that 'One Individual out of every Hundred' is sexually differently oriented and there are thousands of queers living in Hyderabad, who are afraid to come out into the open ! Such is the stigma attached to homosexuality in India and more so in Hyderabad - where sting operations are often conducted in the dark city parks to expose queers - without understanding their predicaments about how difficult it is for some of them to find companionship in life! If Amir Khan's "Taare Zameen Par" could educate parents all over the country about dyslexia and in 'one stroke' - remove all apprehensions on learning difficulties among children, then "Waiting in Wilderness" should clear the misconception in the Indian Psyche about homosexuality and restore the esteem of the LGBT community.

"Waiting in Wilderness" is the story of Gaurav, a young lad in his early twenties who lives on the outskirts of Hyderabad City, where the winds of economic reforms and cultural transgressions had not yet blown through the conservative urban middle-class milieu. He is a basket ball champion and a rage among all the college folks of Hyderabad, but yet he is lonely and forlorn when he is out of the court... He had never experienced the sweetness of a mother's love through out his growing years and his very first crush towards his young & handsome English master in 8th grade was crushed by his doting Dad, who is ever obsessed with family honour and social acceptance. Having never been attracted to any woman since coming of age, Gaurav involuntarily falls in love with a tall & handsome classmate Anurag, who joins college during their second year in under¬graduation. Gaurav is a complete contrast to Anurag, who is a casanova of the college and in spite of being wary of what his peers feel about his deviance, Gaurav dares to draw Anurag's attention to his desire and receives a terrible blow that even forces Gaurav to quit college and later home - as the righteous father - who even aids the treatments of so many children with congenital diseases, is unable to understand the predicament of his own son ! ... It's Love & Desire that keep the world ticking.... but if Desire meets with Denial, then it's either end of the world or beginning of a battle to claim oneself! .... The film ends on a dark note with a message to the Indian Society - to work towards increasing awareness, empathy & open-mindedness - rather than fall back on governance to increase Laws and Moral Policing - that disown & exile some Indians in their own land !.... The world is already divided in the guise of nations, religions, races and cultures - Let us all at least live together in the name of Love!