Decriminalization of section 377 of the Indian Penal Code by the High Court of Delhi in 2008 gave a hope to homosexual activists in India, and was considered to be a bold progressive move. However, in 2013, the Supreme Court declared the 2008 ruling as null and void, thereby upholding the existing law. Not only is this intervention by the apex court disappointing, but the attitude of the people in general is also very stereotypical. Homosexuality is still considered to be impure, unacceptable and "bad" in India. Produced by Karan Johar, often considered to be the "gay icon of bollywood", Dostana was thought as a movie that would challenge this mindset of people, and would promote their inclusion into the mainstream. In this paper, I will argue that the movie does the very opposite.
Right from the beginning of the movie, there are several remarks that reinforce the existing misassumptions and stereotypes about the homosexuals. Throughout the movie, Abhishek (Sameer) puts on an exaggerated camp gay man persona and says to the landlady, "we aren’t babas (men) but babies (female)". This portrayal of gay men not being "real" men but some other version certainly does not help them to be accepted as equals. Similarly, the land-lady’s willingness to rent the house to the two men, simply because of their sexual preferences, shows gay as people devoid of emotions or sexuality, thereby being harmless. While Sameer's mother eventually accepts him as a gay, her initial outlook is representative of the society in general (evident through such comments as "I should have died before this day"). When the immigration officer comes in to verify Sam and Kunal being gay, their behavior to convince him is again very stereotypical, confirming audience's biases about homosexual people.
Undoubtedly, Dostana is very entertaining and humorous. But, much of this laughter is the result of the audience thrown in situations where the gay characters are silly, over-the-top, and mostly unreal. According to me, this is fine as long as it is used appropriately and in moderation, but becomes a problem when a stereotype is so overly used and abused that the public imagination begins to believe that this is what homosexuality is all about.
Besides the story, the movie's songs are also very offensive to gays. For instance, the lyrics for the song "Maa da ladla bigargaya" has the connotation of homosexuality being a disease, impure, bad, unnatural, and all other misassumptions that fuel homophobia. Similarly, "Heer na mili tau Ranjhe oothe margaya" seems to drive home the idea that homosexuality is only a choice when one cannot choose one's sexuality.
It is evident then that Dostana is far from a movie that promotes tolerance for homosexuals, but is rather a movie that reinforces the existing stereotypes. This is not the only movie which does so though, but bollywood in general seems to have a tendency of mocking at this community. For instance, Karan Johar's Bombay Talkies (Ajeeb Dastan Hai Ye), while often considered to be a very brave movie that advocates for gay inclusion, portrays them as "emotionally unstable, unable to have any conversation without gratuitous sexual double entendres, self-destructive, masochistic, and prone to kiss-and-tell"[1]. If we want a progressive society with equal respect and opportunities for all, it is the high time that we use bollywood as a medium to change the perception of the society towards homosexuals, rather than reinforcing the existing taboos.
References
1. "Dear Karan Johar, do you really think gay men are like this?” The First Post. (http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/dear-karan-johar-do-you-really-think-gay-men-are-like-this-758285.html)
Right from the beginning of the movie, there are several remarks that reinforce the existing misassumptions and stereotypes about the homosexuals. Throughout the movie, Abhishek (Sameer) puts on an exaggerated camp gay man persona and says to the landlady, "we aren’t babas (men) but babies (female)". This portrayal of gay men not being "real" men but some other version certainly does not help them to be accepted as equals. Similarly, the land-lady’s willingness to rent the house to the two men, simply because of their sexual preferences, shows gay as people devoid of emotions or sexuality, thereby being harmless. While Sameer's mother eventually accepts him as a gay, her initial outlook is representative of the society in general (evident through such comments as "I should have died before this day"). When the immigration officer comes in to verify Sam and Kunal being gay, their behavior to convince him is again very stereotypical, confirming audience's biases about homosexual people.
Undoubtedly, Dostana is very entertaining and humorous. But, much of this laughter is the result of the audience thrown in situations where the gay characters are silly, over-the-top, and mostly unreal. According to me, this is fine as long as it is used appropriately and in moderation, but becomes a problem when a stereotype is so overly used and abused that the public imagination begins to believe that this is what homosexuality is all about.
Besides the story, the movie's songs are also very offensive to gays. For instance, the lyrics for the song "Maa da ladla bigargaya" has the connotation of homosexuality being a disease, impure, bad, unnatural, and all other misassumptions that fuel homophobia. Similarly, "Heer na mili tau Ranjhe oothe margaya" seems to drive home the idea that homosexuality is only a choice when one cannot choose one's sexuality.
It is evident then that Dostana is far from a movie that promotes tolerance for homosexuals, but is rather a movie that reinforces the existing stereotypes. This is not the only movie which does so though, but bollywood in general seems to have a tendency of mocking at this community. For instance, Karan Johar's Bombay Talkies (Ajeeb Dastan Hai Ye), while often considered to be a very brave movie that advocates for gay inclusion, portrays them as "emotionally unstable, unable to have any conversation without gratuitous sexual double entendres, self-destructive, masochistic, and prone to kiss-and-tell"[1]. If we want a progressive society with equal respect and opportunities for all, it is the high time that we use bollywood as a medium to change the perception of the society towards homosexuals, rather than reinforcing the existing taboos.
References
1. "Dear Karan Johar, do you really think gay men are like this?” The First Post. (http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/dear-karan-johar-do-you-really-think-gay-men-are-like-this-758285.html)
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