Doctor driven to death by mum’s ‘gay cure’ advice commemorated on anniversary

Friends of a much-loved doctor who died after throwing himself from a top floor apartment gathered in Hampstead for a special evening to mark the one-year anniversary of his death.

Dr Nazim Mahmood, a Harley Street doctor, committed suicide on July 30 last year by leaping from the balcony of his apartment off West End Lane, in West Hampstead, after his Muslim mother told him to find a “cure” for being gay.

His fiancé Matt Ogston hosted a pink carpet film screening and reception to commemorate the anniversary at the Everyman Cinema, in Holly Bush Vale, on Thursday last week.

The event, titled An Evening to Find Acceptance, raised funds for the Naz and Matt Foundation, a charity which Mr Ogston launched in the wake of his partner’s death.

On the night, Mr Ogston screened a short film tracing his journey over the past year. A collection of images exploring Dr Mahmood’s story by photojournalist Lisa Bretherick were also on show.

The main feature of the evening was a screening of Bollywood film The Square Circle, which challenges gender identity, gender roles and sexuality.

The Naz and Matt Foundation aims to change attitudes and increase acceptance of gay, lesbian and transgender young people born into religious families, and to offer support to individuals affected.

For more information about the Naz and Matt Foundation, go to nazandmattfoundation.org