Out of the closet and onto the screen

Bollywood is pushing the envelope when it comes to the depiction of homosexuality. Gay characters are no longer providing comic relief as effete caricatures in mainstream movies like Kal Ho Na Ho and Dostana, nor are they being stereotyped as manipulative and promiscuous strugglers in offbeat films such as Page 3 and Fashion.

Filmmaker Onir’s My Brother Nikhil seems to have set the ball rolling for a more sensitive portrayal of homosexuals in Hindi cinema. “Unfortunately most filmmakers do not want to be the instrument of change. They’d rath-er reflect what society wants to see. Change is happening but will take time”, he says.

Meanwhile, a couple of soon-to-be-released films including Dunno Y Na Jaane Kyun and I Am are promising a more balanced and realistic look at the community and its issues. Dunno Y… chronicles the life of an aspiring gay model in Mumbai while I Am is a collection of four short stories touching upon topics such as homosexual prostitution and child abuse.

Gay rights activists point out that the trend is heartening and has been made possible by society’s changing perception towards the community and the decriminalisation of homosexuality by the Indian government last year.

“A fine-tuned evolution is in progress in Bollywood. All of us know at least one homosexual person and would stand up for him or her. And with so many homosexuals around, it is hard to stereotype the community and get away with it,” says gay rights activist Ashok Row Kavi.

Community members point out that Bollywood’s reach is phenomenal and the right portrayal can change perceptions. “Though mainstream Hindi films have been criticised for mocking the community, they have helped the average movie-goer become comfortable with discussing the subject,” says computer engineer Sameer Desai, who is a homosexual.

Architect Ravi Nigam feels that Dostana was a path-breaking film, not for gay rights but because two leading actors agreed to even play the roles without fear of social stigma.

Gay rights activist Harish Iyer said, “I am looking forward to the day when homosexuality is a secondary issue in a Hindi film.”