bollywoodBollywood Queens
Shelina Begum |
A Bollywood-style film about Indian drag queens shocked the censor so much it
was banned.
Despite the uproar over director Sridhar Rangayan's ‘Pink Mirror'
(Gulabi Aina) the film has received critical acclaim all over the world and even
received the highest award at the 'Question De Genres' film festival in
France.
The controversial director who campaigns for gay rights was in
Manchester recently with his film, which was shown in the Commonwealth Film
Festival.
The Pink Mirror is the first film from India, which focuses on homosexuality
in a realistic way neither glorifying, or denigrating gay characters.
Said
Sridhar: "Drag queens love camp humour, dance and drama and they love Bollywood
films.
“That is why I set the film in a Bollywood soap format with song and
dance routines.
"It uses the same clichés but inverts the genre.
"For many
years we have seen drag queens in Bollywood films, but they have always been the
ones that people ridiculed or are only ever shown as entertainment at wedding
parties.
"I wanted a film that queens would enjoy as their own and I wanted
it to be acceptable to a wider audience. I wanted the people to laugh with the
characters, not laugh at them.
"Unfortunately the Indian censor board didn’t
take a liking to it.
“Homosexuality is still considered as a taboo subject in
India, but since drag queens are seen in nearly every Indian city, I wasn't
expecting the board to ban the film and call it ‘vulgar’.
"I am now appealing
against the decision, there has been a demand for the film in India, so
hopefully they will change their minds."
The Pink Mirror revolves around the
emotions and desires of two drag queens - Shaboo and Buboo - and a gay teenager
as they compete for the attention of a bisexual hunk. The film takes a humourous
look at their lives and speaks in their language - colloquial Hindi delivered
with wit and constant bitching.
Said Sridhar: "More and more people are
coming out of the closet in India and are not shamed to be gay, yet they are
treated like second class citizens.
"I wanted to portray their thoughts and
feelings so the wider audience will realise that gay people have the same right
to live peacefully and openly with their identity as the average straight
person.
"This film not only portrays this but is a celebration of Indian drag
queens."
Sridhar worked with drag queens he knows to make the film more realistic and
they had input throughout the production.
"They're a great bunch of people. I
have many friends who are proud queens. They love dressing up, they love
extravagant costumes and makeup.
“In Hollywood queens look up to people like
Barbara Streisand but in India its Rekha and Mina Kumari who queens want to
imitate. There is so much to them which why is why I felt this film was
important to do."
Over the past four years, Sridhar, who is gay, and has been
‘married’ to his partner of eight years, has directed more than 30 films and is
now working on other movies which will focus on issues relating to lesbians,
ageing gay men, married gay men, eunuchs and toy boys.
He is also the founder
trustee of India's first gay NGO called 'Hum Safar' and has edited many issues
of 'Bombay Dost' - India's first gay newsletter.
He added: "I've always been
proud to be gay and why shouldn’t I be? There is nothing to be ashamed of; my
family and friends all know about me.
"Some people do find it hard to accept
but I don't let other people’s prejudice get in the way of doing my work and
enjoying my life."
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