Popular films appear to be rethinking their attitude while using homosexuality on screen as an object of ridicule or titillation, says Usri Basistha.
Love is a force of nature’, thus went the tagline of Ang Lee’s 2005 film Brokeback Mountain. As a 16-year-old watching the film, I was more interested in the bit where the two male leads would kiss. When the story finally came to that, it was no more about the gender of the people kissing. Rather, it stays in my memory as one of the most lyrical films I have watched on the subject of love and therein the tagline comes in handy. Though touted as a film on homosexual love then, the movie was not the first time I was being exposed to the concept of homosexuality. Oddly enough, lesbian porn was already a topic of interest among us. This was over a decade back. Now with children as young as 10 having access to WhatsApp and internet, the avenues of finding information that might be tagged ‘adult’ are more numerous than ever.
So it is certainly perplexing to see the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) rate the official trailer of Hansal Mehta’s Aligarh an A to keep adolescents at bay. Even if the argument is steeped in the logic of homosexuality threatening the fabric of the family, how can the CBFC really keep children away from googling words like ‘gay’ or ‘lesbian’? At a time when Article 377 — criminalising ‘unnatural’ sexual intercourse bringing homosexual sex under its purview — is once again in the cusp of a legal debate, the simple disclaimer about the Article at the beginning of the official trailer of the movie must have surely made the CBFC people jump in their seats.
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Why Did Ratan Tata Feel Compelled To Take Charge Again?
Did Cyrus Mistry fall victim to an ossified corporate culture or did he violate Tata Sons’ ethos and culture? MG BanGa tells the story so far.
Misguided Youths Or Trained Terrorists?
As part of a dangerous trend emerging across the world, homegrown ISIL sympathisers are willing and attempting to carry out deadly terror attacks without any comprehensive support system.
Indian Railways: Living In Dreams
Indian Railways is changing track, giving up its separate Budget and experimenting with surge pricing on three popular trains. That leaves the behemoth with no funds to replace ageing assets and encourage further investments.
Priyanka Gandhi Agreed To Play Bigger Role In UP
Further delay in decision making could be detrimental to the party’s goal to rejuvenate its prospects in the State Assembly elections.
Mission 2019: Banega Swachh India?
Two years ago, Modi kicked off a cleanliness drive in a spectacular way. Showing the contrast between world cities and Gurgaon, MG BANGA suggests ways in which the mission can be accomplished by 2019.
The Goodwill Enjoyed By Mehabooba Mufti Has Been Erased!
Mehbooba Mufti risks losing her popularity and irking her party ranks by using New Delhi’s rulebook to deal with the unrest in Kashmir.
Is China's Support To Pakistan, Big Threat To India?
New Delhi needs to be cautious as in Pakistan’s scheme of things, strategic ties with China can serve as a powerful weapon to deal with adversaries like India.
Panama Papers: Nawaz Sharif'S Troubles Escalate
After his name surfaced in the Panama paper leak following several other charges of money laundering filed against him, there is pressure on Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif to resign.
This Potus Will Make The World Go Bust
The man who believes global warming is a hoax and has a short attention span will now preside over the affairs not just of the United States but of the whole world. A daunting prospect.
Reel-Life Bohemians, Real-Life Hyprocrites
ADHM vs Palm Grove Heights: In cinematic life, two strangers Ranbir and Anushka meet in a pub in London and go on a kissing spree while in actual life back in India, a woman from Barcelona was evicted from her male friend’s home in Gurugram. Is cinema really a mirror of society?
