Sex and Bollywood, the Twain have Met

I'll be the first to admit that I consider Canada to be generally prudish when it comes to enjoyable activities like flirting, especially when compared to my experiences in Cuba. People there seem to be so much more comfortable in their own skins, while here the issue of male/female relations seems to have an overt political quality a little too much of the time. On the other hand, Cuban attitudes toward homosexuality generally harken back to the dark ages of the North American '60s and '70s. It makes for a bizarre combination.

Our movies (which are largely American) are of course quite different from "real life". Beautiful people who regularly engage in intimate behaviour at the drop of a skirt are a staple of North American viewing pleasure.

Not so in Bollywood, well at least not until relatively recently. Overt sex scenes are making more of an entrance into Indian cinema, although by our movie standards they're apparently rather tame.

Jeremy Copeland, a CBC News correspondant in India, has these observations about a recently released Bollywood film called Murder:

I went to see Murder at one of Delhi's big modern multiplexes to find out what all the hype was about. It was an afternoon show but the theatre was sold out. I could sense the nervousness in the audience whenever there was a hot scene. Indian moviegoers often talk during a movie and it's not unusual for people to take calls on their cellphones. But during the scenes where Sherawat exchanged passionate kisses with her co-star, the audience was silent.

Being used to Hollywood movies I found it all quite tame. I was shocked, however, by the violence. In one scene the husband repeatedly punches his cheating wife in the face. Strangely, this didn't seem to surprise or bother anyone but me. (click here for the full article)

Admitedly Copland's viewpoint is of an outsider looking in. So it is interesting to read commentary from Indians themselves on the film. Here's a taste courtesy of Nabir Gosal on Planet Bollywood:

Murder is definitely not a family film, its theme is bold and that is amplified by the numerous love scenes which make Jism look like a walk in the park. Director Anurag Basu has crafted a well shot film which is seen in the opening sequences with the police chase which accurately set the tone for the film. The subsequent interrogation scenes open the story quickly and keep the viewers attention. A majority of the story is told in flashback and they unfold quickly as well. The story packs small punches as we go and results in an above average thriller. In addition, the story is well told and complete, and all loose ends are tied up. Editing is first rate; the pace is even throughout the film, with that the cinematography is also good; it complements the director’s vision properly. The climax in the garden maze is nicely shot and the sex scenes, while a little on the adult side are well picturised. (click here for the full article)

Given Gosal's perspective Indian audiences would appear to be not so much shocked as titilated at the racier aspects of the film.

That isn't true, however, of another recent film called "Girlfriend" that has raised the ire of groups opposed to the oppression of sexual minorities. This from an article in the Calcutta Telegraph (one of my regular sources of news), quoting Tejal Shah a co-founder of an alternative film festival with a focus on gay and lesbian themes:

“But I know, that six years after Deepa Mehta’s film Fire was released, the rightwing will see no reason to protest your film because your portrayal of a lesbian as ‘a psychopath, sexually abused, man-hating murderer and killer’ fits just fine into their hetero-patriarchal agenda of portraying lesbians and gays as freaks, abnormal and as people who must die at the end of the film, so they are aptly punished for their unnatural existence.”

“Films like Rules — Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula or Karan Johar’s Kal Ho Na Ho show gay people in a way that is not offensive. When things are changing even in the mainstream, this (Girlfriend) comes as a big blow to a community that is already without any rights.” (click here for the full article)

Clearly issues of sexuality, and their depiction in film, are easily as complicated in India as they are here, which should come as no surprise. And while Bollywood may be currently more conservative in their graphic depiction of sex in film, Indians appear to be going through a similar sexual cultural evolution that we are in the midst of here in North America.