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 J B H 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. He had tested positive for HIV in 1995. In an Instagram post, Onir revealed he’s planning to cast an A-list actor for the biopic. “This is one of the things I am very, very keen on doing. I hope some male star will have the guts to do it,” Onir wrote.