Vichitra: In Order to Become, directed by Misha Chowdhury

In Episode Four, , Carnatic classical music is the shapeshifting protagonist. Drawing upon their own queer readings of ancient Tamil stories, poetry, and musical forms, a group of artists in the diaspora create new Carnatic compositions about desire and transformation. A king longs to be an awkward bird. A young girl prays to be changed into an old woman. The violin reaches toward the human voice, and the voice reaches toward the drum.In Order to Become

is a queer, multidisciplinary exploration of Carnatic classical music bringing together an impressive ensemble of collaborators from theater, music, visual art, and radio: In Order to Become Shayok Misha Chowdhury Roopa Mahadevan Shiv Subramaniam Rajna Swaminathan Sruti Sarathy Jeremy S. BloomEmily Oliveira Kameron Neal

VICHITRA is a word that, in many South Asian languages, means multiply. Its definitions include “strange”, “weird”, “grotesque”, the opposite of “art”, but also “striking”, “flamboyant”, “many-colored”, “miscellany”, “heterogeneous”, and “diverse”. In Episode One, , we eavesdrop on LGBTQ+ South Asian folx from across the world through anonymous, intimate, intricate recollections of their dreams. Episode Two, , is a contemporary ghost story about taking reincarnation (too?) seriously. In Episode Three, , a queer interracial couple attempt to situate their relationship in a larger constellation of Black and Desi encounters.An Anthology of Queer DreamsEnglandbashiThe Other Other