Onir eyeing a biopic on pioneering gay filmmaker Riyad Wadia

Director Onir is eyeing a biopic on the late Riyad Wadia, a pioneering gay filmmaker from India.

Born in Mumbai, Riyad was the grandson of JBH Wadia. He was related to Mary Evans, also known as Fearless Nadia, on whose life he made a documentary.

In 1996, Riyaz directed BOMgAY, an anthology of six short films capturing the gay subculture of the city. The film, which starred actors Kushal Punjabi and Rahul Bose, is considered the first queer-themed film made in India. It was noted for its guerilla shooting techniques and an explicit sex scene in a library. The anthology was co-directed by Jangu Sethna.

Riyad passed away due to stomach tuberculosis in 2003. 

In an Instagram post, Onir revealed he’s planning to cast an A-list actor in the biopic. “His life was like Freddy Mercury. This is one of the things I am very, very keen on doing and I am trying to get an A-list male actor for that. I hope some male star will have the guts to do it,” Onir wrote.