Bollywood, where are homosexuals?

New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) Soon, Akshay Kumar will be seen trying out the role of a transgender in “Laxmmi Bomb”. Sonam Kapoor explored the complexities of being a lesbian in Indian society in last year’s “Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga”, while Manoj Bajpayee (in “Aligarh”) and Pakistani actor Fawad Khan (“Kapoor and Sons “) have played gay characters in Hindi movies. Bollywood projects have given the occasional voice to the LGBTQIA + community, but is there enough representation?

Some feel the need for more authentic gay characters. Some believe that the community must take on the story of their stories. Some say Bollywood must apologize for using the community as “comic relief” for a long time – a stereotype they “fight to the present day”.

“If you really think about mainstream cinema, things haven’t really changed. I don’t identify with the characters who are there in recent films portraying LGBTQI issues. I contradict the characters. There should be a normal way of looking at people in the community, “filmmaker Onir told IANS.

“People are trying so hard to say the right thing, to pass this level of thinking like” Oh my god! It has to be done. “And that’s why I keep saying that just as it is important that women start telling their stories, it’s important that the community starts telling their stories, “added Onir, and asked a question:” Why don’t platforms make LGBTQI stories with LGBTQI filmmakers who are proud . How can someone else tell my story what I had to say? “

Drag queen Zeeshan Ali believes that “we have just scratched the surface of LGBTQIA + with gay men looking masculine or hyper feminine lesbians in romantic comedies”.

“The representation of the LGBTQIA + community has changed a lot in the industry, compared to 10 to 15 years ago. But it is not enough. It is still not as authentic as it should be,” said Zeeshan. .

“Right now, we’ve been scratching the surface of LGBTQIA + with gay-looking men or super-feminine lesbians, in romantic comedies. I’m totally here for a queer rom, but I don’t agree with the typical representation. Very few mainstream films like “Aligarh” actually dive deep into the stigma that the community faces and I applaud the sincerity of their narration. We need scripts with a queer character representation more authentic. I also think that Bollywood as a whole must apologize to Bobby Chérie in particular, trans women, the “Hijra” community and effeminate men, as their “comic relief” that made us laughter, had a strong negative effect on the queer community that we still fight to this day, “added Zeeshan, who was part of the recent Vh1 India virtual pride parade.

Harish Iyer, who campaigns for a number of causes, including promoting the rights of the LGBT community, believes that there are “very few films related to the LGBTQI community”.

“We are close to seven to 10% of the population, which is not heterosexual and cisgender. And we don’t have seven or 10% – or even two or three percent – of LGBTQI-focused films And, when I say focused on LGBTQI issues, I don’t mean that from scene 1 to scene 365, there should only be LGBTQII things, but we’re not the main characters or even part of the plot We are nowhere in. So we actually celebrate very little that we get, but the truth is that we need to have more representation, “said Iyer.

Maya the Drag Queen mentioned: “I still think that the LGBTQIA + community is still used as a trend and not as a way to give a voice to the community.”

In Bollywood, there was a time when gay characters were mocked, stereotyped or used as comic relief with great artists like “Dostana”, “Bol Bachchan”, “Veere Di Wedding” and “Partner” topping the list of examples. But things have changed since then.

If there is a story of a professor who was dismissed for having an affair with a man in “Aligarh” by Manoj Bajpayee, there is the representation of the Pakistani actor Fawad Khan of a man revealing his orientation family and find acceptance in “Kapoor and Sons (Since 1921)”.

Sonam Kapoor’s lesbian drama “Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga” was presented as revolutionary. Without forgetting films like “Fire”, “My Brother.Nikhil”, “Margarita With A Straw”, “Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.” or subplots in “Fashion”, “Heroine” and “Dishoom”.

Director Onir believes, however, that “queer visibility” is still lacking.

“We are constantly talking about the industry, how it is ready to express a woman’s point of view. I think the platforms, the production and the writers who examine the essence of legitimizing the LGBTQI community through the cinema, walking on an old road to do something related to us. One of the films, “Boy Erased” shook me and I could relate it to an incident that happened recently, where a daughter committed suicide because there was tremendous pressure from her family there is something wrong with her. It is high time that people understand this, “he added.

Onir was referring to the 2018 film “Boy Erased”, released in India on Sony PIX HD. He follows the life of the son of Baptist parents who is forced to participate in a gay conversion therapy program.

Anwesh Sahoo, who was crowned Mr. Gay World India 2016, believes that “we have entered an era where we need more and more representation”.

“So there must be more people from the queer community who need to be shown. I think Faraz Arif Ansari is doing” Sheer Khurma “right now, when he’s talking about non-binary individuals, and I think it will be a movie Even in the recent movies that came out, I would really like to see roles where people like us do a decent job and are a strong person. In terms of that, we have a long way to go, “Sahoo me said.

Drag Queen Alex Mathew noted that there is a need to “air more queer stories”.

“If you see, there are a lot more queer stories coming out. Put real people in queer roles,” said Mathew.

To this, Ma Faiza added: “I would like to see more stories with strange characters, where their sexuality becomes irrelevant and they have more fleshy roles with a depth other than their sexual preference and their sexual path. It would be nice to see characters who were open and queer and accepting of themselves but also much more than their gender identity. “

Drag queen Prateek Sachdeva, aka Betta Naan Stop, also offers more trans inclusion.

“So far, trans representation has been blocked by sex workers or beggars at the signal. This is absolutely not done where there are so many great stories and faces to showcase in all aspects of life. There should be diversification, “added Sachdeva. , which was part of the recent Vh1 India virtual pride parade.

Onir explained: “I don’t want anyone else to talk about me. I want proud people and not those who are afraid of being who they are. I had directors who told me”, Oh Onir We are doing your kind of story “. Don’t do it. If you think it’s my kind of movie and you can’t sound then don’t do it,” he added.

(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at [email protected])

–IANS

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Warning :- This story has not been edited by Outlook staff and is automatically generated from news agency feeds. Source: IANS