While India’s Bollywood film industry once avoided even heterosexual kissing, it is now releasing its first gay film in hopes of breaking taboos and spreading awareness of homosexuality throughout the country.
”It talks of the complexities [of being gay] in India.” said Ashok Row Kavi, the editor of India’s first gay magazine, Bombay Dost. “Taboos are still very strong and hopefully it will change things.”
A film in 2008 attempted to focus on gay issues by depicting two heterosexual men pretending to be gay. However, Dunno Y … Na Jaane Kyun, is the first film to be released to the mainstream Indian population depicting gay characters that are romantically involved and activists and critics feel India is ready for it.
“The sexual revolution has been under way in Bollywood for half a decade,” said Anupama Chopra, a film critic and author. ”Kissing is now fairly acceptable for most of the younger stars. The younger directors are responding to an evolving audience.”
The film will attract many supporters of gay rights issues but will also create extreme opposition of those who were in favor of the laws that were recently repealed that made homosexuality a crime against nature punishable for up to 10 years in jail.
For more on this story visit smh.com.
Olivia Stephens
