Following Odisha sprint queen Dutee Chand’s revelation, Orissa Post takes a look at the changing scenario in the country where films and web series have started to showcase progressive social reforms to generate public interest and opinion
BHUBANESWAR: The Hindi film industry was for years reluctant to touch upon themes related the community due to the social stigma attached to it. However, winds of change have started blowing in India as the film industry has started to embrace and explore these topics.
Made in Heaven
Zoya Akhtar has been a blessing to 2019! Well, the filmmaker has taken a daunting task on herself-to tell real stories of people in the most compelling possible way. From treating homosexuality with the respect and sincerity it deserves and showing the ugly side of marriages, Made in Heaven is one of the most powerful shows of 2019.
Fire
This 1996 release starring Nandita Das and Shabana Azmi was way ahead of its time. Deepa Mehta wove an emotional story about two women, who find solace in each other, after being neglected by their husbands. The film faced a lot of criticism from radical groups when it released.
Bombay Talkies
The short story directed by Karan Johar, in the anthology Bombay Talkies, is titled Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh. It stars Rani Mukerji, Randeep Hooda and Saqib Saleem and depicted the complications that come by hiding one’s sexual preferences. Rani is left broken when she discovers that her husband, Randeep, is indulging in physical intimacy with another man.
Kapoor & Sons
Probably the title of the first commercial film ever, to portray a gay character sensitively, should be given to this film directed by Shakun Batra. Fawad Khan’s intense character manifested a dignity, which Hindi cinema’s ‘mocked’ gay characters lacked. His battle with himself and his family to come out of the closet was presented with the perfect amount of compassion.
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
The movie starring the father-daughter duo Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao, gave moviegoers a bittersweet love story with a lesbian character at the centre stage. Lead actor Sonam Kapoor received acclamation for playing the lesbian role with many saying that this is the first lesbian story of the Hindi movie industry.
Amartya Bhattacharya, who directed ‘Capital I’ which touched the issue of lesbian relationships, said, “The recent revelation by Dutee Chand is an important step in the emancipation of the community. I feel most people in the state are very conservative when it comes to alternative sexual orientation. Many Odias thought it was against the culture. I think sexual orientation is a personal matter. Neither the society, nor the law should intervene into someone’s personal matter.”
“The Supreme Court verdict was very important, and now it’s time we stop peeping into each other’s private lives, and respect human beings for who they are. I think homosexuality and heterosexuality are two words which create a lot of discrimination. Love is not gender-bound and neither is sexuality,” he added.
Filmmaker Swastik Choudhury said, “As creative people, it’s our responsibility to showcase progressive social reforms through our films and help generate public interest and opinion. Even in our first film ‘Capital I’ made in 2014, there was a dialogue – “Law shouldn’t have the right to peep into someone’s bedroom”.
“I personally believe in this statement. Dutee Chand’s opening up on personal preferences serves as a great push to others to come out in the open. More collective and coherent voices should rise to make a more inclusive society. Writers, filmmakers, artists – all can play an important role. And of course it includes media, as long as they self restrain from going overboard, he added.
Actress Sindura Rout said, “I personally feel we are processing as a democratic country. And having such declaration from an eminent personality like her has set an example for people. There is nothing wrong in having same-sex relationships. We as human race should be more benevolent and show our approbation to them.”
Sabyasachi Satpathy, a fashion designer, who had played a gay character in a web series, said, “The audience has evolved. The Indian Cinema is also undergoing metamorphosis. Earlier, same-sex love was something laughed or mocked at but now ,they have become serious subjects and Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Lagaa just manifests that.”
Indubitably, the representation of the LGBTQ community on celluloid has been a tedious one. Often the subject has been comical or presented in a derogatory manner. However, movies like ‘Kapoor and Sons’, ‘Veere Di Wedding’ and even ‘Aligarh’ among others have strived to show homosexual characters as they are, without making them into nothing more than an accessory on screen.
Arindam Ganguly, OP