Seriously Gay

As India becomes more gay-friendly, Bollywood also has stepped up to discuss gay portrayals in a serious tone.

Films like Dunno Y... Na Jaane Kyun, It’s A Man’s World and I Am Omar will show homosexual couples’ points of view and the hardships they face in a heterosexual world. They will also show how men are often exploited under different circumstances and are unable to express themselves.

Actor Kapil Sharma, who plays a wannabe gay model in Dunno Y... says, “Audiences want out-of-the-box experiences and are mature enough to accept such topics. My film’s for the niche urban crowd and has been handled sensitively. It’s a simple love story; the only difference is that it’s between two men,” he says.

In It’s A Man’s World, Mohsin Akhtar will flaunt his body and his acting skills. He feels that cineplex audiences make intelligent film choices. “Big banners are delivering more flops than hits these days, but quality products will sell. My film is engulfing and hard-hitting,” he says.
Actors are now doing comprehensive research before donning such roles. “I met a lot of gay people and attended discreet gay parties in Mumbai to observe their behaviour. I also watched movies based on this theme,” says Kapil. Mohsin interacted with male prostitutes for his role. “I met young male prostitutes at director Saurabh’s office and observed their body language,” he says.

Although director Madhur Bhandarkar cut the kissing scene between Samir Soni and his on-screen boyfriend in Fashion to avoid censorship, now directors aren’t hesitant about going all the way to show gay love on screen. According to reports, director Onir has included love-making scenes between Rahul Bose and Arjun Mathur in I Am Omar and he justifies it by saying, “Arjun plays a sex worker. So, we couldn’t do away with the physical aspect of the gay issue.” Kapil’s also seen in an intense scene in Dunno Y..., and Mohsin is shown as a playboy on his film poster.

Director Sanjay Sharma isn’t bothered about controversies or objections. “I have not included scenes to create hype. Without that intense scene, my film would’ve been incomplete,” he contends.