Monisha Ajgaonkar’s concept film ‘Hamari Apna Galaxy’ shows that love is beyond language
Monisha Ajgaonkar’s concept film ‘Hamari Apna Galaxy’ shows that love is beyond language
Wedding photographer and founder of The Photo Diary in Mumbai Monisha Ajgaonkar is also an LGBTQ activist. Taking a unique approach to honor Gaurav Month this year, he released a video titled our own galaxy Incorporating sign language into the plot. Monisha, 33, says the video was made to raise awareness among both the deaf and LGBTQ communities.
Monisha turned her passion for photography and videography into a profession at the age of 20. His earlier works include l for love Which won an award at the 2018 DMA Asia ECHO Awards. In his previous collaboration with Mumbai’s drag queen, activist-actor Sushant Divgikar created a stunning coming-of-age photo series called Blossom. This photo series was the first nude shoot done by Monisha and Sushant. He has also conceptualized various projects such as love: no limits, unmaskedAnd L: Love Mattersto name a few.
Monisha elaborated, our own galaxy Prem Mein is the story of a young gay couple who talk to each other in sign language. “The story revolves around a couple who spend their last days together. One of them is fascinated by the stars and the moon and reminds his partner that even though they will be in different cities or countries, they will always be in touch because the moon is shared by both of them, and they are one- Will think of the other while they look up at the sky. Apart from the sign language used in the film, expressions and movements also tell a lot. ,
our own galaxy This is Monisha’s first attempt at shooting a video with VFX. She credits Nivesh Jain for doing justice to her vision with editing. Mayuri Niwekar and Divyakshi Naik with dress and styling, and 20-year-old Shubham Soni for her talent behind the camera. Despite the constraints of shooting in September 2021, during the lockdown, the dedicated team managed to film the entire video in a day.”
Monisha Ajgaonkar | photo credit: special arrangement
Every year, Monisha tries to create something meaningful, emotional and memorable for other LGBTQ+ communities. Monisha revealed that she had always been fascinated by the universe, spaceships and the galaxy, so expressing her views on the film added a special connection.
The concept has been on her mind since 2020, but she wanted the right team to work on it. “I felt there was no point working with a team that didn’t understand what I wanted. So, when I discussed my idea with Mayuri and Shubham Soni, I knew I could take the project. I can move on. We consulted a friend who knows sign language to fix it. Some fluid dance movements were used to show celebration and joy,” says Monisha.
Describing the video, she adds, “The girl is going abroad to work for two years and is shocked by the optimism about her partner’s long distance relationship; she reassures them by saying that it will be their future. is together for and she will always be there for mate. She proceeds to close her eyes, clasp her hands and directs her mind to the galaxy in which they both belong together. They open their eyes and dance Monisha has sought to keep the love story as pure as possible, barring any sexual overtones to emphasize the couple’s bond and their happiness.”