“Our authenticity and our voice deserve the respect to be heard and we should have the honour to be seen. We are here and we are not going anywhere,” said Dr Parvinder Shergill, UK-based psychiatrist, actor, filmmaker and co-writer of the film ‘Kaur’.
“Kaur is the hope for more British Asian stories to be told and the empowerment to give women the platform they are entitled to,” she said, as she joined a panel for the first edition of ‘The Filme Shilmy Show’ in London last week.
Described as a first-of-its-kind film-based talk show celebrating South Asian cinema in Britain, the panel also included Pravesh Kumar MBE and Nathalia Syam for a discussion centred around “A Spotlight On British Asian Filmmakers” and hosted by film journalist and broadcaster Anuj Radia.
Kumar, Artistic Director of Rifco Theatre Company, noted: “It is vital that we tell our stories from our own authentic lens. South Asian diaspora is one of the largest in the world, but still we are invisible on screens and stages. If we stand together, we have more power and our collective voice can be louder.”
Syam, behind the award-winning film ‘Footprints On Water’, added: “It’s important to have conversations around each other’s journeys, and discuss the various challenges and solutions experienced along the way.
“It’s also important to represent the voices that otherwise often gets missed out of the bigger picture.”
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The ‘Filme Shilmy Show’, supported by State Bank of India UK (SBI) in partnership with ROQ RAW Radio, Nashtaa Café and Popcorn Pixel, has been launched by ReelN Ltd and entertainment portal Filme Shilmy to spotlight diaspora stories worldwide.
Radia said: “As far as we’re aware, there has not been a consistent talk show which celebrates and promotes South-Asian talent by a host of that heritage.
“With this venture, we would like to encourage more independent and established creative talents to help bridge this gap and make the cross-cultural representation an authentic one. It is high time that independent content creators and storytellers themselves become the mainstream front of entertainment.”
Aman Dhillon, founder of ReelN, added: “The company continues to support new, emerging talent, and new releases and this new show concept enables audiences a unique opportunity and immersive experience with talent and gives talent a platform which is often not available.”
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They say their trailblazing concept has been established to provide an opportunity for South Asian talents, whether they are UK-based or international, independent and/or reputable, to promote and reflect on their journeys as storytellers and content creators.
