g_b An intelligent comment on gay relationships through drama

[sunny kapoor]

An intelligent comment on gay relationships through drama
Madhusree Chatterjee, New Delhi IANS:
Sunday, June 14, 2009

The humour of the original play was intact, but without making the characters 
come across as effeminate, as in Hindi films. Theatre director Sameer Thakur's 
Indian take on Doric Wilson's 1979 play "A Perfect Relationship" is an 
intelligent comment on gay relationships in contemporary India.



Adapted by Thakur of Cathaa Yatra, a Delhi-based community theatre company, "A 
Perfect Relationship" was staged to an overflowing audience at the American 
Centre in the capital Friday.

The play, which has won acclaim since it was staged in the capital in 2008, has 
been recommended for the Dublin International Theatre Festival in 2009 and has 
entered into the archives of the New York's National Museum of Performing Arts.

Written by American playwright Doric Wilson in 1979, "A Perfect Relationship" 
was first performed in New York in 1980.

Reminisces Doric in one of his interviews about the making of the "A Perfect 
Relationship": "I was interviewing a potential roommate to share my Bedford 
Street apartment. When I asked him why he wanted to move, he answered, 'You 
could write a play about what happened to me.' It seems his lover brought home 
a trick (another man) and they decided to live together.

So they kicked him out, but the trick only wanted the apartment so it was only 
a matter of time until the trick also evicted the lover. Three weeks later the 
first draft of 'A Perfect Relationship' was finished (but the interviewee 
didn't move in)."

For Thakur, the scenario of the queer New York City of the 1970s becomes the 
humorous story of Sunny and Rehaan, two flatmates, who are great friends, but 
not lovers as they insist.

The room-mates, who spend most of their gossiping and downing shots of Vodkas, 
suddenly find their lives turning upside down when Ashwin, a 'gay' friend 
decides to take over their lovely flat in the middle of south Delhi.

It leads to hilarious twists of feigned love, betrayal and cunning deceit. 
Manpreet, aka Mandy, the self-styled land lady adds to the confusion. She makes 
a living subletting small flats where she walks in anytime with her boyfriend 
of the day.

Mandy is loud, crass with her Punjabi-laced English, but good at heart. The 
play ends with Ashwin getting what he wants - the flat and good guys losing 
out. But there's hope in the end.

The strength of the play lies in its insights into the 21st century gay world 
of Delhi.
The men have their insecurities - both in bed and outside - and are vulnerable 
to betrayals.

This alternative universe - like the straight world - is peopled by 
double-crossers who would do anything for money; even two-timing with a girl 
for small favours.

It comments on closet relationships of the affluent gay men. Ashwin is the rich 
guy - who wants to set up a love in Sunny and Rehaan's flat to carry on with 
his "personal life".
"Even my wife does not know about my personal life," he proclaims.

The dialogues are witty, earthy and have a domesticated feel about them. The 
set is minimal.
"We put it up for production in 2008 in Delhi and in NCR. And the reactions 
came as a pleasant surprise. Most people said it was a courageous effort 
because of the social context. We let the humour remain as it is - without 
deviating from the original play. The play has references to the current gay 
rights movement in India," director Sameer Thakur told IANS. Thakur also 
designed the set.

"The audience was not laughing at the gay characters in the play because they 
were natural- unlike the ones we come across in movies with their effeminate 
and comic ways," the director said.

Thakur got in touch Wilson last on the Internet seeking permission to "adapt 
and relocate the play to New Delhi". Wilson was initially doubtful.

"But then, I always say that my plays belong to the community they were written 
for. So I have my permission. And forgot all about it...," Wilson said in an 
interview to the media.
Thakur is preparing for his next play, "Godot Arrives". "I will try to push the 
boundary of humour in 'Godot Arrives'. It is a modern adaptation of 'Waiting 
for Godot' by Samuel Beckett."

 Regards,

Sunny

g_b Stigma against Nagpur gay couple

[moderator]

 

Stigma against Nagpur gay couple 

http://www.ndtv.com/news/videos/video_player.php?id=1125882

 

 

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g_b mumbai

[Mumbai Boys]

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g_b Thousands join gay pride parades in Europe

[moderator]

Thousands join gay pride parades in Europe

15 hours ago

PARIS (AFP) — Thousands of people across Europe on Saturday took part in
colourful gay pride parades to protest against anti-gay prejudice.

In Rome, organisers said an estimated 200,000 people took part while in the
French city of Strasbourg the turnout was put at between 2,800 and 3,500 by
police and organisers.

Around 2,000 Greek gay and lesbian people also marked the annual gay pride
event in Athens, with an estimated 1,000 taking to the streets in Warsaw and
several hundred in Zagreb.

Gay rights activist Rossana Traitano in Rome said the country had more in
common with "Russia than with France" in its attitude to gays and lesbians.

In Zagreb, special police accompanied the marchers and a few dozen anti-gay
protesters carrying banners with slogans including "gay pride the shame of
our city" booed and shouted insults.

"Despite our presence there is still a lack of freedom, a restrictedness,"
Marko Jurcic, a gay activist, told journalists before a 30-minute-long march
through central Zagreb.

"We want that the city of Zagreb, its institutions and citizens recognise
our existence and our support for an open and better Zagreb," he added.

"They (gays) are endangering the freedom of normal, heterosexual people who
want to raise their families ... and live according to God's and natural
laws," said Josip Miljak, head of the extreme-right Croatian Pure Party of
Rights that organised the anti-gay protest.

Polish activist Tomasz Baczkowski said attitudes were changing slowly in the
largely Catholic country.

"But the intolerance is still omnipresent, so much so that our parades are
always useful," he said.

 

 

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g_b short film script feedback?

[Manan Katohora]

looking for someone to give honest pure feedback on a short film script 
that kind of deals with coming out...
 
 
 
please share phone and contact info
 
 
thanks
regards - manan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Regards, Jai Mata Di - Manan Singh Katohora
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1355459/  
(24 imdb credits)
 

For more about me - Please GOOGLE 'Manan Katohora'
Or Check #39 TOP 50 Indian-Americans 
http://www.desiclub.com/community/culture/culture_article.cfm?id=242

Los Angeles - ‘Best South Asian American Young Entrepreneur’ Award
http://www.indiajournal.com/pages/event.php?id=3795

OVERSEAS PR for Onir and Sanjay Suri's ABHIMANYU
http://iamabhimanyu.blogspot.com/2009/06/manan-katohora-from-us-volunteers-to-do.html
 

g_b File - PLEASE NOTE-URGENT

[gay_bombay]

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g_b File - chat.doc

[gay_bombay]

File: chat.doc 
Description : Gay_Bombay Chat Room 

 


chat.doc
Description: MS-Word document