Onir is one of India's most celebrated indie filmmakers, widely recognized as a pioneering voice for diversity, inclusivity, and LGBTQIA+ advocacy in mainstream South Asian cinema. He famously broke ground with his directorial debut, My Brother… Nikhil (2005), which stood as one of the first mainstream Hindi films to openly address same-sex relationships and HIV/AIDS. Over his distinguished career, Onir has consistently challenged systemic boundaries through award-winning works like the National Award-winning anthology I Am (2011), Bas Ek Pal (2006), and Kuch Bheege Alfaz (2018).
A longtime creative pillar of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), Onir returns to the festival circuit following the massive global success of the collaborative feature My Melbourne (2025), a major cross-country anthology project addressing identity, gender, and sexuality alongside co-creators Imtiaz Ali, Kabir Khan, and Rima Das. Beyond his collaborative initiatives, Onir continues to spearhead bold independent cinema with his highly anticipated recent releases, including Tumhari Khushboo (Your Fragrance) and the critically acclaimed spiritual sequel We Are Faheem And Karun, an independently funded, authentic exploration of queer love set within the socio-political realities of Kashmir. Known for his deep emotional nuance and refusal to make marginalized voices invisible, Onir remains an inspiring guiding force for contemporary global queer cinema.
