'Dunno Y…' to be shown at Columbia University

Directed by Sanjay Sharma, the film Dunno Y Na Jaane Kyun may have tanked at the Indian box office this year but is getting attention internationally.

The Hinglish film on gay relationships found platform at several international film festivals, and will be screened for students of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), New York.

Gays and Lesbians in International and Public Affairs (GLIPA), a students’ forum for discussing gender issues across the world at SIPA will sponsor the screening.

“We are excited about the breakthrough Dunno Y Na Jaane Kyun represents in Indian cinema and the society. We would like to have an educational screening for our members,” Matthew Schaaf, treasurer of GLIPA, said in an email to the film’s lead pair Kapil Sharma and Yuvraaj Parashar.

The actors have also been invited to participate in a discussion on alternate sexuality after the screening.

“This is a great honour for us and a form of appreciation for making a film on an issue that rarely gets discussed in our country,” Sharma told DNA.

He added that he and Parashar were both nervous and excited at the prospect of addressing an international audience.

The event is scheduled for early next year in January or February, depending on how soon the team can get US visas.

A post on the GLIPA website states that the screening of Dunno Y... is a part of their effort to bring to SIPA an understanding of issues surrounding sexuality, lesbian gay bisexual transgender (LBGT) people, and cultural acceptance in other countries.

Sharma said it was also hinted that the film may be included in the syllabus at the university.

“It’s too early to say whether our movie will finally make it to the curriculum or not. We will have a clear idea once we go there and meet the students and faculty,” he added.