Badnam Basti (CTBA) + intro

Originally believed lost and only recently rediscovered, Badnam Basti is regarded as Indian cinema’s first queer film.

Prem Kapoor’s debut feature is an artfully crafted musical melodrama, which revolves around a complex love triangle between two men and a woman. Sarnam is a wily truck driver and bandit; the beautiful Bansuri comes into his orbit after he intervenes when she is assaulted, and Shivraj is the temple worker who employs Sarnam after a stint in jail.

Badnam Basti defied contemporary cultural norms; subtly addressing its characters’ bisexuality, and smuggling its progressive themes into the narrative in order to subvert the strict censorship laws of the time.

This event is part of Cinema Rediscovered on Tour: a Watershed project in collaboration with Park Circus and StudioCanal. With support from BFI awarding funds from The National Lottery.