A story of gay love uniquely told

Sisak, Faraz Arif Ansari’s film on gay love is an unusual film on two counts. First the same-sex love story unfolds entirely on a local train. Secondly, Sisak has no dialogues. It’s a silent love story as no one speaks in the film. Few in Bollywood have actually dared to make a wordless love story. At a time when homosexuality is still illegal in India, a film like this gives legitimacy (sort of) to the movement. The idea of two co-passengers (played by Jitin Gulati and Dhruv Singhal) falling in love in a train has its antecedents in Meryl Streep and Robert de Niro’s passion in Falling In Love. More recently, Emily Blunt spent a large part of her traumatised existence on a train in The Girl On The Train. Moreover, Sisak is a departure from the way gay love is portrayed in India. There is no attempt to nullify or judge the relationship. But the undercurrent of guilt runs through the trailer. It can’t be helped, when the couple in love knows it’s got a slim chance of getting across the social stigma. And yes, the Censor Board. Let’s not forget the word ‘gay’ is not allowed in our films. Now you know why Sisak is a silent love story.