Varsha Panikar is a Mumbai-based filmmaker, poet, and multi-disciplinary artist. They are also the co-founder, Artistic Director, and Creative Producer at Star Hopper, a trans-led film production company working at the intersection of film and culture to create narratives that are brown, queer and women led.

Drawing from their own lived realities, their creative journey finds its roots in challenging the status quo, culminating in narratives that aim to transform and spark conversations around marginalised and underrepresented South Asian stories. Blending mediums and formats, Varsha questions the dynamics of representation, asking critical questions about narrative authorship and the visibility of diverse voices. Their practice seeks to catalyse transformative change and healing, both individually and collectively, through artistic resistance. With over a decade of experience in Mumbai's advertising sector, Varsha leverages this extensive background to craft narratives that challenge and redefine dominant socio-political discourses. 

Varsha's film works have reached global stages, with appearances at over 60 prestigious film festivals like BFI Flare, Fringe! Queer Fest UK, Outfest LA, and Berlin Commercials. Their works have found home on platforms including Nowness Asia, Nowness, Disney+ Star, Otherness Archive, MTV, GiF, and Directors Notes. Their film "Bodies Of Desire" gained prominence through #FiveFilmsForFreedom 2021 by BFI Flare and the British Council, securing accolades such as the Best International Short Special Jury Award at RIO Festival De Cinema LGBTQIA+ 2021, and Best Music Video award at the Global Indian Film Festival. They recently developed and directed micro entho-linguistic documentaries for Disney+Star's Words Of Pride initiative to bring to light the lack of LGBTQIA+ inclusive words in Indian regional languages. This series not only bagged a Silver and Bronze at the Spikes Asia Awards  but also stood out with a Spike Glass nomination, marking them as the sole contender from India in this category.

A recipient of the Chain Unchained: Mintathon Grant (2023) by Goethe Institute, in collaboration with Be Fantastic, to empower their project "Ara Chronicles" a graphic novel series that blends ancient Indian folklore, fantasy, and magic realism to develop into NFT collectibles. The project was exhibited at the Kala Ghoda Festivals, 2024. Also a BeFantastic C³ Fellow (2021), supported by Goethe-Institu Mumbai and Zentrum für Kunst und Medien ZKM, Karlsruhe, Varsha continues to explore the intersection of technology and storytelling.

Varsha's artistic practice encompasses poetry, zines, photography, and performance, and has been featured in esteemed magazines and exhibitions internationally. Their anthology "At The End Of The Line" will be exhibited at Opn Art House, curated by Gaysi Family at Max Müller Bhavan, New Delhi this November. Their mixed media series "Origami Folds" was also exhibited at Gaysi's "Do You See Us" at 47A Design Gallery, Mumbai in September 2023. Their photo-poetry zine 'My Body Is A Prison,' part of the Origami Folds series, was praised by curators like Zine Club Chicago, State University Of New York's Sojourner Truth Library, Queer Zine Library, and Grrrl Zine. Their work has also been featured in publications like The Lipstick Politico, Munich Zine, Nerve Zine, Forbidden Verses, The Rights Collective, SASS, One Future Collective, The Local Color Zine, and Pinjratod. Their photo-poetry zine ‘Whispers To My Shadows’ and selections from their mixed-media anthology ‘Bodies Of Desire’ were exhibited at the ‘Queer Futures Archives’ at Parramatta Riverside Theater, Sydney.

Additionally, Varsha curates moving-image sessions and co-runs the Underground Film Observatory (UFO) within Star Hopper, elevating works of under-represented South Asian artists. In their down time, Varsha does voice-overs, performs spoken-word, experiments with analog image-making and nerds out on all things horror. Varsha is currently working on a queer graphic novel for children. For collaborations and inquiries, you can contact them on varshapanikar@gmail.com or starhopper.in@gmail.com

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