The film Dostana depicts two
male friends, Sam and Kunal, who pretend to be gay so they can live in a
girls-only apartment, and end up faking the relationship for a significant
period of time. Despite their determination to maintain their friendship with
their beautiful housemate, Neha, both fall in love her and fail to keep these
feelings secret. As I was watching the
film, I was struck by film’s presentation of masculinity, especially in a
homosexual context. The comical representation of Sam’s and Kunal’s masculinity
demonstrate society’s fear of femininity
and sexual ambiguity.
Fear of the feminine emerges early in the film. When Sameer works as a
nurse, one of his patients asks why he did not become a doctor. A running joke
in the film is that when Sameer shares that his occupation is a nurse, someone
will ask if he wears a short skirt. Sam expresses annoyance about the jibes he
receives from working in a female-typed occupation which seems to detract from
his manliness.
Furthermore, men seem to fear the feminine presence in a man because too
much femininity ultimately causes gender ambiguity. When Sameer’s mother finds
out that her son has filed for a passport application as a member of a gay
couple, she rushes to the trio’s apartment to admonish her son. According to Sameer’s mother, the trouble is
not that her son is attracted to men, but that he cannot distinguish between
men and women. Thus, she posits that
being a gay relationship is simply the result of being unable to discern
another’s gender, which can only occur if a man is less masculine.
The film portrays M as a stereotypical gay and effeminate man to criticize
the representing the gay man a less masculine one. M is a fashion magazine
executive, so he is very interested in the subtleties of clothing and
appearance. As a completely comical character, he kind of makes a farce of the
feminine. Although M is a man, his
exaggerated female mannerisms and interests beckon the audience to view him as
more female than male. In light of the
film’s fear of the feminine, M’s portrayal seems to explain why society expresses
intolerance for gays.
Another instance in which the movie points out the ludicrousness of gay
stereotypes occurs at the event Abhimanyu, Neha, Sam, and Kunal attend. Sam and
Kunal had been fighting because they discovered that both have feelings for Neha.
To avoid sharing that this was the source of the conflict, Sam pretends that he
is hurt about Kunal’s infidelity. To express his anguish, Sam exaggerates a
tearful countenance which prompts Neha to
give him a hug. This moment is actually quite comical, and there is often truth
in humor, so this functions as another critique of prejudice against gays.
Furthermore, these instances of
exaggerated “gayness” occur only sporadically in the film. Neha’s reception of
their behavior can be interpreted as the kind of acceptance and tolerance the
film aims to promote.Since Sam and Kunal are actually heterosexual, and a
significant portion of the movie focuses on their attraction to Neha, these
instances highlights the contrast in expected behavior of straight and gay
males. Although Neha seems obtuse since she fails to recognize that they have
feelings for her, one can also interpret her lack of perspicacity as an
avoidance of labeling behavior as gay or straight. Because Sam and Kunal said
they were gay, she believes that this is what defines their sexuality, and so
she does not attempt to gauge how they perform their sexual identities through
clothing, mannerisms, etc.
In summary, I argued that Dostana criticizes society’s fear of the
feminine and gender ambiguity through its comical portrayals of gay men. The
film establishes this critique by depicting the jibes that Sam receives by
working in a conventionally female field and by showing that Sam’s mother
attributes his preference for a men as a result of not being able to discern
men from women The film explores these ideas through comically representing gay
men, such as M, as extremely effeminate who essentially fail in being masculine
or feminine. Neha’s acceptance of their sexual identity, regardless of their
relative masculinity, provides a glimmer of hope for a more accepting society.
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