Pride Month: Hindi cinema, Homosexuality, and Humanity

Picture Courtesy: Official Twitter Account: Dharma Productions

Homosexuality more often than not is a comic relief for Hindi cinema makers. It sets the cash registers ringing but also induces cringe. These are bankrolled by some massively influential filmmakers and acted by magnanimous movie stars. When did the industry get this right? There are few names that showed both sincerity and spine in getting it right.

In Deepa Mehta's film Fire, two women, strangled by loneliness, come closer and discover a bond that goes beyond physical intimacy. Their emotional depth may be gazed at with disdain, they continue to embrace their passion for one another. Like the moniker suggests, protests erupted across and the release was stalled. A PIL followed, followed by a much-delayed release, then followed by a dazzling response for audacity. This was the first step in humanising love that transcended genders.

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Onir is one of the most sensitive filmmakers we have. His aching and alluring My Brother Nikhil is the story of a man who's a swimming champ. His life comes crashing down when he's diagnosed HIV positive. He's in love with a man who stands by his sorrows. It's fitting he's one of the only people apart from his sister who understands the depth of his relationship and reality. After all, he's a swimming champ.

Dharma Productions finally made what needed to be made. In Kapoor & Sons, Fawad Khan's homosexuality is kept as a suspenseful cliffhanger in the drama about a dysfunctional family coming to terms with their reality. Expectedly, his mother is shocked who thought his son was perfect. It suggests homosexuality is still perceived as a flaw. Khan breaks down and tries to explain he's tired of being the perfect son. His own brother is left speechless at Khan's confession. It takes a while before acceptance kicks in, and section 377 is kicked out. All's well that ends well.

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