We haven't had a GRAB posting in a while. For those who came in late,
GRAB is an informal attempt to track gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender references in recently released Bollywood films (more
info in the postscript).
I realise that everyone is waiting for the big Diwali showdown next
week - Shahrukh's abs in Om Shanti Om versus Ranbir's ass in
Saawariya. But there have been quite a few films in the last several
weeks and there must have been some GRAB worth material in them. I
recently finally caught up with two, and here's what I got:
Chak De! India - Well, the GRAB potential for lesbian references is
obvious in a team full of hot and hockey playing young women, but i
have to admit I was mostly distracted by Shahrukh's incredibly hot
new look. Nice, real looking muscles, not those unreal abs of OSO,
HOT stubble, and best of all, no female love interest to get in the
way.
But I went to see it with a lesbian friend who was almost standing up
in her seat to cheer, so finally it registered on me that the film
was scoring high on the GRABometer. Komal Chautala is a total
babydyke, down to that tell-tale tomboy moment when she has to wear a
sari and HATES it. I could also easily imagine her rivalry with the
fair&lovely&lanky Chandigarh chick was based as much on wanting to
score with her as well as against her. The Punjabi girl is clearly a
rampaging bulldyke (and doesn't her mother call her 'puthar' at one
point?). I also got strong dyke vibes from Bindiya, though she's the
only one who demonstrates some heterosexual interest, though of a
tactical, sleepwiththecoachtogetahead kind.
Of course, nearly every woman in the opposing hockey teams seemed
lesbian, particularly the Aussies and the Argentines.
And just in case any gay guy is wondering what there is to see in
this film apart from Shahrukh, well Vivan Bathena is quite edible and
shirtless in the film, with just the right amount of body hair. But
really good film, and since its still running, maybe we can still do
a GB Goes To See for all the gay guys who haven't.
Loins of Punjab Present - There were two possible gay angles in this
very fun film. Well, one was obvious in the fashion designer who is
quite over the top, but not bad and the sequence where the Patel
platoon forces him to see a (heterosexual) strip show is quite funny.
The other angle was mentioned in the reviews, but isn't that obvious -
the Indian rap singer who seems to have a black buddy with who he is
always wandering around hand in hand. There is also a tender and
funny moment with a couple of cucumber slices. I guess they are gay,
but it would have been nice to have a firmer depiction of it. But the
film is really worth seeing and still running at Gem so catch it if
you can.
That's all I've had time to see, but surely people have seen more?
Was anyone brave enough to see Mumbai Salsa - in a film about love
and sex in Bombay there has to be a GRAB and the reviewers mention a
lesbian angle. Anything else?
And what about the other films? No Smoking would be worth seeing for
John's often naked torso (and the bf, who saw it, was pretty
impressed and said the reviewers are idiots). In Jab We Met is there
any brawny Punjabi farmer trying to distract Shahid from Kareena?
Wasn't there some film about TV channel exposes - given how obsessed
channels are with homosexuality there must have been some gay threads
in it? Please rack your viewing memories and post GRABs!
Vikram
PS: About Gay Reference Audit for Bollywood (GRAB)
Did anyone see Good Boy, Bad Boy? I know Tussshar Kapoor was a draw,
but the reviews of this film were so horrenduous - even the actors
seemed to be pissed off at it - that I wouldn't be surprised if not a
single gay boy went to see it.
Which might be a pity only because of this visual:
http://www.indiafm.com/movies/mstills/12733/still18052.html
I just saw this still reproduced in a paper and couldn't believe it.
Is Emraan Hashmi really standing at the head of a students' rally
with a big sign below him saying "Being Gay Is No..." Actually I
don't know what the sign says because its been cropped in the visual
and I haven't seen the film, but it does sound like its going to be
something positive like "No Crime". Can anyone who has seen the film -
or anyone brave enough to go and see it now - fill us in on what the
sign says?
OK, I know that even if it is positive, it doesn't mean that Emraan
really believed in this big time (I can't remember even a single
comment he's ever made on gays) and the chances are the producers
just threw it in because they think it sounded cool and radical and
eye catching and at this point in the film they were probably
desperate to try anything. All the other signs around are about
different things, so its hardly a gay rights rally.
Still, its the first gay rights sign I can ever remember seeing in a
Bollywood film and if nothing else its proof of how (a
