In Valentine’s month of love, Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal come together to celebrate the essence of love with TAPS, a powerful queer love story by Arvind Caulagi. However, the power couple of Bollywood had another special reason to celebrate the release of TAPS on 19th February, as it was the birthday and 10th anniversary of the National Award-winning filmmaker, Sudhanshu Saria who produced the film.
Ali Fazal shares a glimpse of the film’s core message: “Love has always been painted in broad strokes-roses, candlelight, grand gestures. But love is so much more than that. ‘TAPS’ captures something intimate, raw, and real. It reminds us that love isn’t just about who we love but how we love-with honesty, courage, and resilience. Richa and I felt strongly that a film like this deserved to be seen by as many people as possible. The fact that we can bring this story to the world-it feels just right.”
All About TAPS
TAPS is available on YouTube and has already made a mark in prestigious film festivals with its storytelling and inclusivity theme. The movie stars debutant Ullas Samrat along with Rohit Mehra and gives a closer look at LGBTQ+ relationships and how couples navigate the relationships in this community.
A powerful yet delicate story portrayed under the careful eye of Arvind Caulagi and Sudhanshu Saria. The film is under the Kashish Foundation and shares a powerful message through this short film of 15 minutes. “We live in a world where love is still policed, where identity is still debated, and where so many individuals are still searching for acceptance. ‘TAPS’ subtly makes us think about why we still struggle to embrace love in all its diversity. Through this film, we hope to spark more dialogue, to encourage empathy, and to remind people that queer stories are not separate from human stories….”
Who is Sudhanshu Saria?
The film holds a special place in Sudhanshu Saria’s heart as it marks 10 years in Bollywood with countless impactful films.
Sudhanshu Saria said, “TAPS reminded me of when I was making my first film LOEV ten years ago. It felt like the perfect way to build on LOEV’s legacy in queer cinema by supporting another story that normalizes queer representation on our screens…”
Additionally, the release date of TAPS was on his 41st birthday as a gift to the queer community, who helped him build his career. Speaking to a media outlet, he said, “I love that I found my journey back into queer stories by producing a queer love story.”
Sudhanshu Saria has several notable works to his name like Loev, His New Hands, Knock Knock Knock, ULAJH, and Big Girls Don’t Cry. In the film fraternity, especially in the LGBTQ+ community, his storytelling reflects a section of society often overlooked by mainstream Bollywood.
Therefore, his works have created waves in several festivals around the world, like the LGBT International Film Festival, Hong Kong International Film Festival, and WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival among others.
Sudhanshu Saria’s List of Awards
- He won the Best Screenplay for Knock Knock Knock (2019) at the New York Indian Film Festival. Again in the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, the film won the Remi Gold for Best Dramatic Film.
- The Audience Award for Best Feature at the LGBT International Film Festival in Tel Aviv for Loev (2015).
- His New Hands (2014) won the Best Dramatic Short Remi Gold Prize at the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival. Additionally, this film won the Best Film Award at the Flyway Film Festival.
- ULAJH and Big Girls Don’t Cry won hearts and critics with their captivating storytelling.
So, why should love be limited to boundaries? TAPS embarks on this journey of love.
