The coming out of Bollywood

Dostana shows that Hindi mainstream cinema isn't shy about showing gay love.

Two decades ago, Indian film industry and media were at once aghast and dismissive when gay rights activist Ashok Row Kavi said that some scenes of Subhash Ghai’s Ram Lakhan had distinct gay undertones. Admittedly, the film did show Anil Kapoor putting his head in Jackie Shroff’s lap and Shroff running his fingers through Kapoor’s hair. Yet, it was sacrilegious to suggest what Kavi did.

Since the beginning of Bollywood, Hindi films have depicted male bonding as lovingly and tenderly as heterosexual love. In Sangam, Raj Kapoor’s Sundar accords the same status to Rajendra Kumar’s Gopal (though Gopal appears uncomfortable and embarrassed to have Sundar as his friend) as he does to Vyjayantimala’s Radha. In Dharam Veer, the real love is between a skirt-clad Dharmendra and a willowy Jeetendra — all the oomph of Zeenat Aman and Neetu Singh is no more than an unavoidable distraction. In Sholay, Veeru gets so engrossed chatting up Jai that he forgets his rendezvous with Hema Malini’s Basanti (which results in dacoits abducting her for the climax song).

 

Our film music has always sung paeans to one man’s love for another. Dosti’s still popular Chahunga main tujhe saanjh savere is neither sung by nor sung for a woman. Jai and Veeru sang about being together in the manner of wedding vows (till death do us part). In Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Amitabh Bachchan, playing a modern-day Devdas, vows to give up alcohol not for lady love Rakhi but for friend Vinod Khanna. And in Yaarana, Bachchan sings that the world will forever remember his friendship with — of all people — Amjad Khan, who in numerous other films played the menacing villain to Bachchan’s avenging hero.

Yet, Kavi was panned for his interpretation of Ram Lakhan. Our heroes were strong, if not always silent, macho and masculine. They could hug a male friend frequently, and sing and pine for him (Bachchan again for Khanna in Hera Pheri), but that is where it stopped. When the euphemisms stopped, it was time to tell the audience that our hero would settle for nothing less than a woman. We have seen gay characters before, but they were no more than half-crazy buffoons, such as Anupam Kher in Mast Kalandar.

That is why the recent Dostana marks such a departure that it deserves a write-up in these pages. No, it’s not Brokeback Mountain, which, while being the story of two male lovers, was an achingly serious take on unrequited love. Dostana is in another, far away genre of urban comedy.

Still, it is Bollywood’s boldest take yet on homosexuality. It is the story of Sam, a male nurse (Abhishek Bachchan), and fashion photographer Kunal (John Abraham), who pretend to be a gay couple so they can get to share an apartment with single woman Neha (Priyanka Chopra, more alluring than ever) without sexually threatening her.

Producer Karan Johar, who has sometimes been the subject of speculation over his perennially single status, has played it safe. The film’s opening scene strongly establishes Sam and Kunal as bikini-chasing heterosexuals, and they keep flipping for Neha’s feline appeal even while pretending to be a gay couple. The audience is not left in any doubt that they are merely pretending to be gay. The film is located on the other face of the globe, in Miami, USA — far away from India, where homosexuality is still illegal. And Sam’s mother, who eventually accepts his supposed gay lover, lives in London.

However, despite the safeguards, the film makes several statements that no Hindi film has ever made. First, gays need not be sleazy, that they are normal human beings. Second, a heterosexual person can be friends with them. Third, Neha does not think twice before serving Sam and Kunal as the bait for her boss (Boman Irani, fashion editor, openly queen) in the hope of being promoted. Fourth, the film unabashedly woos the male homosexuals among the audience. The camera caresses Kunal’s ripped torso as much as it does Neha’s washboard-flat midriff. And Bachchan and Abraham, who have often played strongly masculine characters, do kiss — on the lips, even as men and women around them cheer wildly.

There is just one poignant scene in the film. At the end of a day’s work, Neha comes home distraught; she has been passed over for the post of her magazine’s chief editor. Sam’s mother, who had in the previous scene been aghast to see Sam dance with a leering Irani, tells Neha to trust God and that all will be well. Neha’s retort, in measured tones, is a return lesson in tolerance. Isn’t it a pity that Sam has had to hide his sexuality for the fear that his mom won’t accept it? Isn’t love good, however you find it?

Of course, the poignancy quickly gives way to the film’s most comic scene as Kunal (the mother is not sure whether to call him daughter-in-law or son-in-law) gleefully accepts thick gold bangles from Sam’s mother, and she stops just short of giving him the traditional Indian blessing of bearing children.

There is a scene in which Neha talks about the tragedy of her life: she is single at 27 despite living with two able-bodied and “hot” guys. That evokes an involuntary what-if-they-were-not-gay thought in the minds of the audience. Now that Bollywood has come this far, maybe that possibility can be explored in a fascinating sequel.

GAY ANTHEM

The world over, the songwriter’s inspiration of choice has been love. Not that there haven’t been other themes — John Lennon’s Imagine, Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA, Michael Jackson’s Heal the World are among those that stand out. Still, largely, love has ruled.

So it has been in Bollywood. Mohammad Rafi may be best remembered for Baiju Bawra’s O Duniya Ke Rakhwale, but most of his songs were about praising and loving women. Now, finally, there is the first Bollywood song about gay love.

The lyrics are funny and the picturisation hilarious, but Dostana’s Maa Da Laadla Bigad Gaya (a mother’s son has gone astray) is all about a man turning gay.

Opening with Munda Saada Doli Chad Gaya (my boy is riding the palanquin), it goes on to talk about Heer Mile Na Isnu Ye Ranjhe Uthe Mar Gaaya (when he didn’t get the legendary woman lover, he fell for her lover).

There will now be no need to snigger while distorting Aadmi Hoon Aadmi Se Pyaar Karta Koon, the song from Manoj Kumar’s Pehchan, which is about loving humanity.