laughed at, lesbian acts on the September silver 2009
Deepa Mehta’s Fire was more about the
screen are cherished. Basic Instinct and
lead characters being called Radha and
American Pie for example. I thought it
Sita and less about homosexuality itself.
was ‘normal’ to see a man and woman
It then becomes crystal clear that Fire
making love. Then? Oh, they say a
came under a deep fanaticism only
mindset is reflected in films. But isn’t
because it was a simultaneously a bitter
America an equal and just society?
and feminist take on religion, more than
Specious issue!
same sex love. Mehta goes into
Different still are the films in which the
intercuts of how the ‘karwa chauth’ fast
issue is handled with care, sensitivity &
started and intelligently cuts into the
research. The most recent & popular
present where the leading ladies are
one is The Brokeback Mountain directed
neglected by their husbands either for
by Ang Lee. The brilliance with which
other women or under the influence of
the film handles the gay theme is
‘religious gurus’ teaching abstinence
praiseworthy. Though the film is a very
from
was
‘Hollywood formula’ take on a love
something unprecedented that the
story, it doesn’t nonetheless shy away
chauvinist and ‘sanatan’ parivar could
from showing an onscreen kiss between
not take and the excuse sought was the
two men. But mere classics whether
love affair shown between two women.
queer or not, are actually foreign
Of everything gay that has struck Indian
language films.
screens ever, Mehta’s Fire is the most
Bad Education by the famous & award
memorable. It was cinematic, bold, & a
winning
poignant tale of love & desires. Even the
Almodovar and Happy Together in
better acclaimed film maker Mira Nair
Chinese by Wong Kar Wai are few that
couldn’t catch this poignancy in her
can be mentioned. In Hindi, it was the
Kama Sutra-The tale of love. Fire spoke
recent Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd that
and spoke so boldly that the legs of all
should be praised for its subtlety.
the chairs from Nagpur’s Reshambagh
Though My Brother Nikhil handled the
to Delhi’s 24, Akbar Road were shaken
theme very boldly there was a certain
to the core. For the first time after the
air of discomfort in handling the scenes
new wave of the 70s-80s, a film had
when the two guys come together.
shown what cinema was capable of
Bad Education is a vivacious take on a
doing.
cross dresser’s life. Almodovar, himself
Talking about homophobia, arousing
an openly queer, gives a certain edge to
attention, are actually Hollywood flicks
his
coming from so called ‘liberal &
different from the caged or rebel
modernized’
Trip,
characters of film makers of the ‘New
Beauty,
Queer Cinema’ like Todd Haynes, Derek
Wedding Crashers, to mention a few.
Jarman, Greg Araki et al; Almodovar’s
The Shawshank Redemption again goes
gay characters are already liberated and
in the category of ‘things that happen’.
roam around the space of the film, just
Contrary,
doing the usual.
one’s
American
own
wife.
This
America - Euro Pie,
American
thought
provoking
and
noteworthy is that where gay men are April 2010
A Queer View
created by the Sena and Sangh during
Spanish
homosexual
director
characters.
Pedro
Much
Continued on Page 11 5