Articles, Reviews, Press
​​
-
The Complexities Of Queer Identity & Self-Acceptance Captured Through Visual Poetry. - Homegrown
-
'After So Long' inspired by vintage home-movie culture. (Film Review) - Gaysi
-
This walkabout is a moment of transformation. - GirlsInFilm
-
After So Long (Review/Feature) - Nowness.Asia
-
A Portrait of Tender Intimacy in Visual Poem ‘Bodies of Desire’. - Directors Notes
-
Queer works have to be looked at as a representation of marginalised in current socio-political climate. - Times Of India
-
Mumbai artist Varsha Panikar talks about their new film - Rolling Stones India
-
A sensual celebration of genderless love and desire. - Nowness
-
British Council launches 'Five Films For Freedom' campaign. - The Telegraph
-
Five international LGBTQ short films at BFI Flare you can watch free anywhere in the world. - Attitude
-
‘Bodies Of Desire’ Explores The Unparalleled End Of Intimacy & Passion. - Homegrown
-
FLARE LGBTIQ+ BFI’s annual celebration of all things gay. - Filmuforia
-
As for Bodies of Desire, love is not surrender. It is reciprocation. It’s sharing a space that is internal and external. - Otherness Archive
-
Panikar and Nawab on their groundbreaking film “Bodies of Desire”. - The Lipstick Politico
-
100 Women and Non-Binary directors we loved in 2021. - Rianne Pictures
-
Queer short film ‘Bodies of Desire’ delves into themes of intimacy, identity. - The Hindu
-
BFI Flare: Five Films For Freedom digital campaign returns for 2021. - Diva Mag
-
Short Film ‘False Promises’ Reminds You What It Is To Be Human. - Homegrown
-
Five LGBTQ+ short films, including one from India. - Cinestaan
-
British Council launches 7th edition of Five Films for Freedom. - Times Of India
-
Gits Food comes up with #ThankYouBhaiya campaign for Rakhi & Independence Day. - Exchange4Media
-
Gits Food thanks the armed forces with their #ThankYouBhaiya ad campaign. - Economic Times
-
Indian film finds place in 7th 'Five Films for Freedom'. - Millenium Post
-
Of what queer urban India could look like. - The Digital Hash
Talks
​
-
Panel Discussion - "Beyond Pride” by The Queer Muslim Project and U.S. Consulate General, alongside Parmesh Shahani and Trinetra Haldar. The evening marked the launch of TQMP's zine “Tributaries”, featuring the voices of some incredible young writers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
​
-
Panel Discussion - Taking #PrideBeyondTheMonth - Varsha Panikar, Suruj Rajakhova, and Oishorjyo, Doel Rakshit - Brand Movers India.
​
-
Q&A - Redefining Culture & Erotica - A talk with Varsha, Ilsa Fay - Eros Tantra & Embodiment Festival, Melbourne.
​
-
Panel Discussion - LGBTQIA++ representation in the India Entertainment Industry - Faraz Arif Ansari, Tathagatha Ghosh, Varsha Panikar, Kalki Subramaniam - #PrideLiveFest.
​
-
Interview + Q&A - Launch of Brown Bodies Zine, Varsha Panikar, Mathushaa Sagthidas, Habiba, Dr. Fatima Rajina on their pieces exploring queerness, capturing brown bodies, South Asian history, and colourism. - The Right's Collective.
​
-
Film Analysis & Panel Discussion - 'The Portrait of a Lady on Fire' with Varsha Panikar, Asawari Jagushte, Avijit Mukul Kishore, and -The White Rose Club & Glass Eye Gargi.
​
-
Screening + Panel - Screening of #FivefilmsofFreedom - Varsha Panikar, Saad Nawab, Asawari Jagushte, Doel Rakshit, Bonita Rajpurohit, Omkar Sharma, Bonita Rajpurohi - Harkat.
​
-
Interview & Q&A - Maithilee discussing multi-media art, queer activism, importance of representation, and platforms like #FiveFilmsForFreedom with Varsha Panikar - Nazariya QFRG.
​
-
Screening + Q&A - Art showcase by queer desi/BIPOC - Queer Art Exchange 2.0 Canada.
​
-
Interview - British Council Art & British Film Institute - In conversation with Saad Nawab & Varsha Panikar.
​
-
Interview + Q&A - Discuss queer representation in Indian Cinema, the challenging gaze itself & how they are shaping the future of film making - With Almass Badat, Varsha Panikar, Asawari Jagushte, Saad Nawab - Hungama London.
-
​
-
Panel Discussion on visibility of LGBTQIA+ folks in creative mass media platforms with Varsha Panikar, Asawari Jagushte and Anish Gawande conducted by . - Transistance
​
Podcast
​
-
Interview & Q&A - Passing Bi - Suryatapa and Navdeep talk to non-binary filmmaker Varsha Panikar about their short film Bodies of Desire as part of British Council's #FiveFilmsforFreedom - BI Collective Delhi
-
Interview - Pride & Prejudice - Suryatapa Mukherjee interviews Varsha Panikar & Asawari Jagushte on starting their own Production company - what it’s like for queer-trans people behind the camera in the industry and how marginalised artists can create opportunities for themselves. - Suno India
Published, Curated
​
-
Bi All Means - Issue 2 featuring excerpts and artwork from Bodies Of Desire by Varsha Panikar.
​
-
Wicked Gay Ways - Spring/Summer 2022 issue featuring Eternally Entwined, a memoire from Bodies Of Desire by Varsha Panikar.
​
-
Nerve Zine(UK) - 5th Edition, centered around the theme of 'self'. Featuring a piece from Varsha Panikar's series, titled Origami Folds on Pg 42.​
​
-
Raza - 1st Edition of queer antholgy by One Future Collective(India) , featuring a piece from Varsha Panikar's series, titled Origami Folds on Pg 44.
​
-
Brown Bodies - 6th issue of The Rights Collective's zine titled (UK), exploring Brown Bodies in their multitudes. Featuring some new works from Varsha Panikar's series, titled Origami Folds on Pg 43.
​
-
LINES- The 4th issue of Marketplace(India), featuring Everywhere I go I See Lines, a visual-art piece by Varsha Panikar on Pg 43,44.
​
-
My Body Is A Pridon - A zine by Varsha Panikar from their ongoing mixed-media series, Origami Folds, is availble on AmazonKindle.
​
-
My Body Is A Prison (zine) has been curated by Zine Club Chicago (U.S), State University Of New York's Sojourner Truth Library (U.S), Queer Zine Library (UK), and Grrrl Zine (UK).
​
-
'The Diary Of Alex Nobody' is a fan-fiction series told from the point of view of a newly imagined queer character living in the totalitarian world of Orwell's dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. The zine been curated by Zine Club Chicago (U.S) and Queer Zine Library (UK).
​
-
SKIN - The 3rd issue of Marketplace(India), exploring the relationship and perceptions one has to and of skin; the meanings, memories, dreams and epiphanies that arise from analysing our relationship to it, both intrinsically and metaphorically. Featuring some excerpts of Origami Folds by Varsha Panikar on Pg 22.
​
-
The Dreamer Issue - Local Colour Zines's issue exploring dreams. Featuring Daydream from their series, 'Dream Diary'.
​
-
Varsha's essay 'Labels, In A Not-So-Perfect World', on their experiences with labels with respect to the discourse around gender, identity and self expression.
​
-
'Whisperings To My Shadows' - a zine By Varsha Panikar. First showcased at Queer Future Archive Installation - March 2020. An Afterpartycollective Installation showcased at Riverside Theatres, Western Sydney, supported by Parra Artist Studio.
​
-
Come, Sing along! by Varsha featured in the Zine - ‘Resilience’, by the Rights Collective(UK), together with guest editors South Asian Sisters Speak (SASS), featuring brown womxn of south Asian descent. Pg 51
​
-
Published in Love Portions, in the February 2020 issue of Rogue by Ratio Auream Publishers under the publication One Point Six One Eight Imprint. Available on Amazon & Kindle.
​
-
Audio-Story released first on Lonely Hearts Club. Put your headphones on, get comfortable, and get ready to descent into the tantalising world of Alex&Julia from the fan fiction series The Diary Of Alex Nobody, by Varsha.
​
Exhibits, Spoken Word
​
-
Coffee and Spoons Exhibition (Spoken Word) - April 2024 - APRE Art House, Mumbai
​
-
Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (Ara Chronicles NFT Exhibition)- January 2024 - At Coomaraswamy Hall, Goethe Institute, Mumbai
​
-
Transient (Spoken Word) - February 2024 - By Gurleen, Rayyan, Doel at Mumbai.
​
-
Do You See Us? (Photography Exhibition)- September 2023 at 47A Design Gallery, Mumbai by Gaysi Family.
​
-
Opn Art House (Exhibition) - November 2023 - By Gaysi Family at Max Müller Bhavan, New Delhi.
​
-
Queerotica (Spoken Word) - June 2023. Desi Pride Weekender by The Gay Gaze Bombay.​
​
-
Queerotica (Spoken Word) - June 2023. Desi Pride Weekender by The Gay Gaze Bombay.
​
-
Satrangi Mela (Art Exhibition) - November 2021. Curated by The Gay Gaze Bombay.
​
-
The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea (Spoken Word Theatre) - December 2020. Original poetry and writings, performed by Varsha Panikar alongside a screening of their film, Bodies Of Desire. Other performances included works by Kim Kaul, Asawari Jagushte, Doel Rakshit and Gurleen Kaur.
​
-
Queer Future Archive Installation (Art Installations) - March 2020. An Afterpartycollective Installation showcased at Riverside Theatres, Western Sydney, supported by Parra Artist Studio.
​
-
Fridakahling (Spoken Word + Art Exhibition) - January 2020. A pop-up art exhibition cum sale related to realities and resistance, in an effort, to start conversations around resistance by marginalized genders through art. Artist on show - Varsha Panikar, Vaishali Soni, Aishwarya Nabh, Subha, Alisha Huang, Boomranng Studio at Anat & Veda Live
​
-
Queerotica (Spoken Words) - December 2019. A Words Unboxed: Poetry Open Mic. Featured poets - Varsha Panikar, Alizeh, and Anagha, alongside pop-up art exhibition from their series, Bodies Of Desire at Anat & Veda Live.
​
-
Make A Diff (Art) - 2020. An online exhibit and sale to provide grocery/medicine kits for those in need. The exhibition included Varsha and their mother, Geeta K.U's work.
​
-
Performed spoken word at various offline and online events.
​