Queer Bahurupi Love Story ‘The Magical Men’ Heads to Busan’s Asian Project Market

Busan’s Asian Project Market will present “The Magical Men,” a queer love story from writer-director Biplob Sarkar that spotlights the marginalized Bahurupi performance community of South Asia. Produced by Fran Borgia, François d’Artemare, Sankhajit Biswas and Sarkar, the film explores intimacy, resilience and identity against the backdrop of fading folk traditions and entrenched social taboos.

Set in Old Dhaka, “The Magical Men” follows Sukumar and Hemanta, Bahurupi artists who embody Shiva and Parvati during Neel Shashti Puja, even as their craft no longer sustains them. Their secret romance unfolds amid strained family ties, police harassment, and the performers’ personal struggles, culminating in Hemanta’s disappearance and Sukumar’s crisis of memory, love and survival.

For Sarkar, who screened “The Stranger” in Busan’s New Currents section in 2023, the new project builds on his commitment to stories of marginalized communities. “They embody gods and goddesses in their performances, carrying the fading tradition, on the other hand, in their daily existence they struggle for dignity and survival in a society that often marginalizes them. For me, their art became a mirror of larger questions about identity, freedom, and love,” he says.

Producer Sankhajit Biswas, who has worked extensively with queer communities, underscored the importance of international exposure. “Even though queer stories are gaining voice in South Asia, we need to remember that the hostility and homophobia is still not stopped. Hence it is important for these films to attain international success to create a traction for domestic release and wide visibility,” he says.

Borgia, whose recent credits include “Stranger Eyes,” Singapore’s current Oscar submission, said he was moved by Sarkar’s vision. “It’s a very personal story for Biplob — a complex exploration of human relationships within a society that does not allow such connections to exist openly. The way the characters, as performers, navigate lives that are both silent and loud at once was truly magical to me,” he says.

The team sees Busan as a vital launchpad for the project. “Apart from coproduction and funding partners, distributor and sales agents, we will also be looking for impact producers who can take the film to the right kind of audience, not only in Bangladesh and India, but also globally,” Biswas explains. Borgia added that APM has “always been extremely beneficial for our films” and said the team aims to connect with collaborators who share their belief in the urgency of queer and culturally specific stories.