Not your Typical Light and Dark

In the light and dark motif, light typically symbolizes truth and goodness, while darkness represents lies and evil. In Bombay Talkies, an anthology of four short films released in 2013, explores the intensity of human emotions with lighting. Specifically, I would like to focus on two of these short films Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh and Sheila Ki Jawaani, which both grapple with homosexuality and stereotypes of masculinity, use the light and dark dichotomy to reveal the true sexuality and gender of the male leads.

      Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh dramatizes the tension between a upper-middle class husband, Dev, and wife, Gayatri, that arises when the her gay best friend, Avinash, becomes enamored of Dev. Avinash visits Dev at works and flirts with him, so Dev punches him repeatedly. Dev later visits Avinash apologize, but ends up passionately kissing then punching Avinash and leaving him distraught.

    The lighting in the scene in which Avinash visits Dev at work cues the audience to both the outcome of the interaction and the general attitude towards homosexuality that the film addresses. The artificial lighting in the news studio is harsh, which corresponds with Dev’s violent reaction towards Avinash’s advances. Since Avinash is fairly certain that Dev is gay, Dev’s rejection of Avinash in the artificial light can be interpreted as the façade he feels obligated to maintain under society’s scrutiny. 

       The use of darkness in the following scene when Dev kisses Avinash in his small cottage demonstrates that he feels a measure of comfort in expressing his homosexuality in the darkness, away from society’s heteronormative gaze. Avinash’s cottage is very dimly lit with sunlight, and even Dev’s and Avinash’s shirts are gray. Not only does the lack of artificial light symbolize the absence of society’s glare, but the absence of natural light, which could symbolize hope, also expresses a dismal hope for open expression of sexuality.

     The third short film in the anthology, Sheila Ki Jawaani, showcases the love of dance and cross-dressing, Vicky, a little boy, feels pressured to stifle. Vicky’s father forces him to be masculine and play sports, particularly soccer.

   Similar to the lighting in Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh, the lighting in Sheila Ki Jawaani also symbolizes the harsh expectations of masculinity. While the lighting in the soccer game scenes is bright natural sunlight, not artificial lighting, it still constitutes a soul-sucking force. When Vicky plays soccer, he is obviously unhappy, and this effect is heightened with flashes of light cutting through the shots.

    On the other hand, the lighting in which Vicky pursues his interests contrasts greatly. When he dresses up as a girl and dances, he is a dimly lit, enclosed space in his home.  In his final performance, the setting is again dimly lit, showing that he can only express his gender identity when he escapes society’s rigid expectations. Unlike the first film, this final performance scene contains literal glimmers of hope.  As Vicky he dances for the crowd, sunlight streaming through the windows behind him illuminates his figure. The artificial, colorful lighting in the decorations also acts as a self-affirming force. Some of the audience members laugh, but most enjoy the entertainment.

   In summary, I argued that the lighting in both short films cued the audience to contrast the behaviors performed in light and dark. Both male leads departed from male gender standards, and they conformed to societal standards roles in the light, whether artificial or natural sunlight. Both character found freedom to express themselves only in near darkness. However, it did not appear that Dev would accept his homosexuality in the cottage scene, while Vicky’s situation seemed hopeful because of the rays of light streaming around him.