Onir is an Indian filmmaker, producer, screenwriter, and editor born in Bhutan. He is best known for his film "My Brother... Nikhil" (2005), based on the life of Dominic D'Souza, starring Sanjay Suri, Juhi Chawla, and Purab Kohli. It was one of the first mainstream Hindi films to deal with AIDS and same-sex relationships.
He won the Indian National Film Award for Best Film (Hindi) in 2011 for the anthology "I AM". This film is considered one of the first and largest crowd-funded and crowd-sourced films through social media in India. The film dealt with single motherhood, child sexual abuse, displacement, and LGBTQI+ rights.
In March 2024, Onir's "Pine Cone" screened at BFI Flare, a queer love story written by Ashwini Malik and Onir. It is loosely based on Onir's memoir "I Am Onir and I Am Gay", which he co-wrote with his sister Irene Dhar Malik and was published by Penguin Viking.
Onir's directed one of the 4 stories of the anthology "My Melbourne" which was shot in Melbourne by 4 Indian film makers with an Australian cast and Crew telling stories of diversity and inclusion.
Onir's "We Are Faheem & Karu" had its international premiere at BFI Flare (March 2025).
Director
We Are Faheem & Karun
