Bollywood takes a turn for the erotic

In a country that gave the world Kamasutra, it’s still considered taboo to talk about sex. However, of late, commercial mainstream cinema has broken that barrier and is making more and more films under the erotic thriller/comedy genre. Be it The Dirty Picture or the upcoming Jism 2, audiences are being served a titillating fare of oomph and erotica.

Says The Dirty Picture director, Milan Luthria about the recent spurt of films laced with erotica, “People have become more receptive to bolder, but good content. The films may have the ’80s kind of sleaze hangover, but mainstream filmmakers are trying to work the erotica into the story. Even The Dirty Picture was accepted because besides the eroticism, it was a moving story of a woman’s downfall.”

A senior film analyst adds, “One needs to understand that it is the erotic thriller genre we are talking about, so it makes perfect sense to show sex in it. It’s just like having cartoons in a cartoon film. Similarly, in an erotic thriller, which is still in its nascent stage, the challenge in it is that you make sex look like it is art. Just like we appreciate the naked paintings at the museums. And to do this filmmakers need to look more real than titillating. This genre is now growing here, and it’s just a matter of time before it attains a certain class.”

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt too agrees that the popularity of the genre lies not just in it erotic offerings, but also the stories narrated along with it.

“These films are generally dismissed as erotic, but what they don’t get is that it is made for people who expect a strong story with it. It’s not a porn film that just aims to show people getting nude for three hours. This is a genre that’s yet to be explored in India, but with young and dynamic filmmakers taking the lead, it’s sure to do better in near future,” he says.