Philadelphia was perhaps the first mainstream American film to deal with the serious subject of homophobia, and AIDS. It took Hindi cinema 12 years to reach the same milestone. Film maker Onir's outstanding My Brother Nikhil was released in 2005. And now, a decade later, we have Aligarh. Time to applaud the handful of courageous Indian film makers who have treated the subject of homosexuality with maturity, sincerity and sensitivity, despite all odds. Here's a look at some of their films:
Fire (1998): Deepa Mehta came under immense pressure around the time of the release of Fire; the film was released in India 2 years after its screening at the Toronto International Film Festival. Loosely based on Ismat Chugtai's famous story Lihaaf (1942), the film portrayed a lesbian relationship between two lonely daughters-in-laws , both neglected by their husbands, and craving affection and sympathy. Its release sparked an outrage in the country. Later films like Girlfriend (2004) which focused primarily on the physical attraction between two young girls, played by Isha Koppikar and Amrita Arora, did not see similar outrage, despite steamy sequences. Nor did a spate of similar films that followed, which clearly intended to titillate the audience. Perhaps the reason why Fire created such furore was that it exposed the underbelly of the Great Indian Family, which, as the film showed, could push couples stuck in dysfunctional relationships towards exploring their sexuality.
My Brother Nikhil (2005): Onir and Sanjay Suri's poignant film is the story of Nikhil, a young swimming champion, who suddenly finds himself at the receiving end of hatred and ignominy, when he is found to be HIV positive. His own father throws him out of home, he is illegally detained in a TB sanatorium for 3 months, shunned and left to die a lonely death. The story is narrated by Anamika , Nikhil's sister, played by Juhi Chawla, who, along with Nikhil's partner Nigel, steadfastly stands by Nikhil. The film was inspired by the life of Dominic d Souza, an AIDS activist. Heart-rending performances from the whole cast, especially Sanjay and Juhi. Truly a brilliant, touching portrayal of a young life destroyed by blind prejudice.
I Am (2011): I Am is actually four fine films based on four unique stories, combined into one—I am Afia, Megha, Abhimanyu, Omar. Rahul Bose played Omar, an unsuspecting young man who , one night, accepts the offer of company from a struggling actor, only to get sucked right into a morass of blackmail and depravity . The earth moves from beneath Omar's feet when he realises that his partner was part of the set up. Rahul Bose conveys complex emotions like betrayal, using only his eyes. A stunning performance in a hard hitting film.
Aligarh (2016): Forthcoming release Aligarh is another feather in director Hansal Mehta's cap. It's a deeply moving tale, based on the true story of Dr. Siras, Professor of Marathi at the Aligarh Muslim University, who finds himself framed in a diabolical plot conceived and executed by his colleagues. His privacy is invaded, he is subjected to utter humiliation, and in a travesty of justice, his services are suspended. Manoj Bajpai plays Siras with a rare delicacy, showing great economy of expression. The courtroom scene, where Siras takes pains to describe his male visitor on the fateful night as a "friend" despite ugly comments in the court, demonstrates how the true gentleman Siras fights to retain his dignity even when faced with vulgarity.