Dostana by
Tarun Mansukhani, and produced by Karan Johar, is a new-age movie that dealt
with homosexuality in the Indian society from a drama-comedy perspective. Set
in the United States, but very much in sync with the sentiments of not just the
Indian diaspora but also the larger Indian community with ties back home in the
motherland. There were a few key themes that Dostana represented that was
path-breaking as far as Indian cinema was concerned:
·
Mainstream acceptance of homosexuality in
the Indian society
·
The liberation of the urban Indian woman
Mainstream
acceptance of homosexuality in the Indian society
While there were numerous films that had dealt with the
taboo topic of homosexuality in India, Dostana
truly was one of the first mainstream popular movies, backed by a major
production house, to deal with the issue. While it was interesting to see that
homosexuality was getting much air-time in Indian cinema, it was unfortunate to
see many stereotypes (mostly exaggerated) being reinforced through the movie –
for example, the correlation of homosexuality with femininity, or the
flamboyance associated with the larger LGBTQ community. The initial scenes in
the movie depict the supposed alpha males of John Abraham and Abhishek
Bachchan, who are revolted at the idea of “being homosexuals”, but compromise
for the sake of “a greater good”. The “Maa Da Ladla” song too was a subtle but
powerful take on the notion of the “saas-bahu” relationship in the context of
homosexuality, where the mother was not just appalled at the unusual
waywardness of her son, but also at a loss to interpret how she would handle
and accept a homosexual relationship as a “saas”. A movie like Dostana would probably have been panned
if it had lacked the firepower of a star-studded cast, and it is understandable
that the director and script-writer probably weaved in stereotypes for
commercial appeal, hoping to merely scratch the surface of a sensitive topic,
but not rattle the boat too much. This is in stark contrast to some of the more
independent movies on homosexuality without major producers or stars that faced
significant challenges in scaling up in India and gaining mainstream exposure. An
argument could be made that since Dostana,
there haven’t really been any serious movies analogous to Brokeback Mountain in
Bollywood that have really taken this issue head-on and explored the nuances of
homosexuality in India.
The
liberation of the urban Indian woman
Priyanka Chopra’s role in Dostana was a refreshing take on the liberation of the urban Indian
woman (in complete contrast to the women seen in Mother India, Deewar and 1947
Earth) – one who is educated, forward-minded, financially-secure,
aspirational and living abroad proud of her Indian roots and identity, while
maintaining traditions (e.g. respectful towards elders). Her “Bo Dererk”-esque
scene in Dostana was supposed to have
represented the coming of age for Indian women in Bollywood – yet, what truly
stood out and showcased the liberation of the Indian woman was her complete
autonomy over her own life. Priyanka Chopra was competing head-to-head to lead
Verve magazine, was able to achieve significant professional success, establish
residency abroad, take care of her relatives, as well as live a youthful and
secure life without any external constraints specific to women. Her role would
continue to be refined in future films, particularly coming-of-age and urban
films in Indian cinema like Wake Up Sid,
Aisha, and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.
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