Founded in 2019 by Asawari Jagushte and Varsha Panikar, Star Hopper is a one-stop creative studio, crafting stories across film, TV, commercials, branded content, and hybrid formats. Built on a process and impact-driven approach, our work prioritizes cultural depth, integrity, innovation and a commitment to transformative storytelling.
Whether you come to us with a fully developed script or just the spark of an idea, we collaborate from concept to execution, shaping narratives that resonate globally.
With our finger on the pulse of shifting global politics and technology, we work with culture-forward brands, agencies, and organisations committed to equitable authorship and meaningful engagement. Expanding storytelling beyond the screen, we explore immersive VR theatre, AR experiences, NFT projects, and hybrid media experiments.
As a trans-led studio, inclusivity isn’t just a principle—it’s embedded in how we create, shaping not only the stories we tell but also how they are made.
Our verticals include the Underground Film Observatory (UFO), a platform spotlighting films and moving image works by GSM, queer, trans, GNC, and women filmmakers, and Riot Ink Press (RIP), our publishing arm amplifying bold, diverse voices through zines, books, and more.
We see ourselves as explorers—hopping through the cosmos of storytelling, imagining tomorrows, and seeking meaning in the unknown. In that unknowing lies power: the power to rewrite, to reimagine, and to shape bolder, more expansive futures.
Will we ever inhibit such a space?
We don’t know. But we hope, we dream, we try—one story at a time.
Notable Awards and Recognitions:
Grand Prix at The Drum Awards 2024 (Word Of Pride) Gold at The Drum Awards 2024 for Social Purpose (Word Of Pride) Gold at The Drum Awards 2024 for Charity or Not for Profit (Word Of Pride) Gold at The Drum Awards 2024 for Disruption (Word Of Pride) Bronze Award at The Drum Awards 2024 in the Data/Insight category (Word Of Pride) Silver and Bronze at Spikes Asia Awards 2024 (Word Of Pride) Spike Glass Nomination at Spikes Asia Awards 2024 (Word Of Pride) Merit Award at The One Show 2024 in the Public Relations category (Word Of Pride) Gold for Cultural Driving Force at ONE Asia Creative Awards 2024 (Word Of Pride) Merit for Creative Effectiveness at ONE Asia Creative Awards 2024 (Word Of Pride) Bronze for Brand-Side/In-House at ONE Asia Creative Awards 2024 (Word Of Pride) Purple Elephant at Kyoorius Creative Awards 2024 (Word Of Pride) Best International Short (Special Jury Award) at RIO Festival De Cinema LGBTQIA+ 2021 (Bodies of Desire) Five Films for Freedom 2021 at BFI Flare and British Council (Bodies of Desire) Best Poetry Short at Make Art Not Fear 2022 (Bodies of Desire) Best Poetry Short at Make Art Not Fear 2023 (After So Long) Official Selection at BFI Flare (Bodies of Desire) Official Selection at Outfest LA (Bodies of Desire) Official Selection at Berlin Commercial (Bodies of Desire) Official Selection at Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest (Bodies of Desire) Official Selection at Toronto Queer Film Festival (Bodies of Desire) Official Selection at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (Bodies of Desire) Best Music Video at Global Indian Film Festival 2021 (Bodies of Desire) Honourable Mention at 24fps International Short Film Festival 2022 (Bodies of Desire) Quarter-Finalist (Best International Feminist Short) at Femifilms (Bodies of Desire) Winner of Chained Unchained Mintathon Grant 2023 (ARA Chronicles) Exhibited at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2024 (ARA Chronicles) Official Selection at IAWRT's Asian Women's Film Festival (The Housemaids) Official Selection at Bangalore Queer Film Festival (The Housemaids)