HIV Stigma, Gay Inty, and Caste ‘Untouchabily’: Metaphors of Abjectn My Brother…Nikhil, The Boyiend, and “Gandu Bagicha” | SprgerLk

Contents:

• MY BROTHER…NIKHIL: REVISG THE AID-LS GAY ROMANCE
• PRI MONTH: SANJAY SURI AND PURAB KOHLI ON PLAYG A GAY UPLE MY BROTHER…NIKHIL
• SOME GAY & LBIAN FILMS THAT LEFT A MARK
• GAY GLOBALIZATN VIA GOA MY BROTHER... NIKHILGAY GLOBALIZATN VIA GOA MY BROTHER... NIKHILGAY GLOBALIZATN VIA GOA MY BROTHER... NIKHILGAY GLOBALIZATN VIA GOA MY BROTHER... NIKHILGAY GLOBALIZATN VIA GOA MY BROTHER... NIKHIL
• HIV STIGMA, GAY INTY, AND CASTE ‘UNTOUCHABILY’: METAPHORS OF ABJECTN MY BROTHER…NIKHIL, THE BOYIEND, AND “GANDU BAGICHA”
• INTERVIEW, ONIR, THOR, I AM ONIR, AND I AM GAY – “I AM THE SUABLE BOY”

MY BROTHER…NIKHIL: REVISG THE AID-LS GAY ROMANCE

Before Sonam Kapoor’s lbian character Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, before Dostana brought gay romance a problematic/not so problematic light, there was Onir’s 2005 classic My Brother…Nikhil. Wrten and directed by Onir (that director whose one or two offbeat film you might be knowg, stars Sanjay Suri (that actor you might have seen some film or the other but you don’t know his name) as Nikhil, a gay swimmer Goa growg up a sy yet subtly problematic fay. My Brother…Nikhil has this and that person volved , and might not be fully mastream, but still shouldn’t be seen as ‘that gay film’.

Prevly, there were jt arthoe films on gay upl that were que disturbg the effort to accurately show realy that the opprsed face India. Onir, who himself me out of the closet a few years back, don’t make beg gay some sort of special thg, not like other problematic reprentatns which try to ga sympathy and nothg else. At a time when homosexualy was rarely mentned Bollywood films and same-sex relatnships were not a part of the mastream narrative, Sanjay Suri and Purab Kohli dared to take on the film My Brother…Nikhil.

In the ongog Pri Month, we tch up wh the film’s lead actors, Sanjay and Purab, who speak about beg a part of the film and the kd of appreciatn they received om the dience and gay muny. Excerpts:My Brother…Nikhil was ma at a time when homosexualy was not a part of the mastream narrative Bollywood. Frankly, such talk enuraged me to explore the subject Inially, I was sceptil about takg up the project bee jt before I was offered the film, I had shot for Le Kenny’s first directorial 13th Floor, which I played a gay character.

PRI MONTH: SANJAY SURI AND PURAB KOHLI ON PLAYG A GAY UPLE MY BROTHER…NIKHIL

I was very young when I played this role, and I often drew referenc om my mother’s iend, who was gay. For the same reason, the film, we haven’t shown how Nikhil ntracts Sanjay and I were like two gredients that blend well and that ma our relatnship seem film received a lot of appreciatn om the crics, what kd of receptn did get om the gay muny? Purab: I remember we had hosted a special screeng for the members of the gay muny, who appreciated the film a lot and were emotnal when they saw .

After one of the screengs, a lady met me and said, ‘Thank you for makg this film as helped me unrstand my dghter better, who I lost to AIDS 10 years ago’ the film make you popular wh the gay muny? At that time, there were no social media, but my webse had gone live and there were so many msag I received om gay men. 06 Sep 2018, 06:05 PM ISTSignallg wds of change, the Supreme Court on Thursday lifted a lonial-era ban on gay sex.

As the untry, and the world hails the move, here's a look at some gay and lbian films that were enarg and left a lastg imprsn. Wh Juhi Chawla and Lillette Dubey supportg st, this film tried to do a "normal" act between homosexual lovers, emphasisg on the regular uple behavur.

SOME GAY & LBIAN FILMS THAT LEFT A MARK

AgenciSean Penn won the bt actor Osr 2008 for his grty pictn of Harvey Milk, an Amerin activist who fac several difficulti while fightg for gay rights. It revolv around Simon Spier, a closeted gay high school boy who is forced to balance his iends, his fay, and the blackmailer threateng to reveal his sexual inty to the entire school, while simultaneoly attemptg to disver the inty of the anonymo classmate wh whom he has fallen love onle.

AgenciIt was India's first film on homosexual love, and ed a huge uproar for brgg the 'taboo' subject to the big screen. Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer liver outstandg performanc as the film betifully manag to avoid the clich about gay love. This movie is groundbreakg; this movie has a "realistic" look at a gay uple and handl the subject of Aids wh sensivy – which has never been any Indian is simple, Nikhil is diagnosed wh Aids and his parents disown him.

Sanjay plays the role of a man who is gay and the closet, a swimmg champn, a guy who is so prsured by his dad, an artist, and a weak sad, strong, human beg.

GAY GLOBALIZATN VIA GOA MY BROTHER... NIKHILGAY GLOBALIZATN VIA GOA MY BROTHER... NIKHILGAY GLOBALIZATN VIA GOA MY BROTHER... NIKHILGAY GLOBALIZATN VIA GOA MY BROTHER... NIKHILGAY GLOBALIZATN VIA GOA MY BROTHER... NIKHIL

He portrayed the role of a gay man who is loosg his soul-mate so well, that I had to take a double take as to if this was really happeng to him.

HIV STIGMA, GAY INTY, AND CASTE ‘UNTOUCHABILY’: METAPHORS OF ABJECTN MY BROTHER…NIKHIL, THE BOYIEND, AND “GANDU BAGICHA”

And for those who are arrogant and don't like gay liftyle – only this quote n sum up: "It's astonishg how much energy some people Waste worryg that someone else might be Enjoyg life ways that they don't Approve of"Take re, Bhumi. Her tle role (she's the sister of the proud gay man Nikhil about whom the story revolv) no doubt adds mass-market appeal and human warmth to this 's the wrg, directg, and pacg of this drama that pulls you and never lets you go. It would be easy to dismiss My Brother Nikhil as a "gay film" or an "AIDS Awarens film", but while both of those ponents are ntaed the story, the movie is -- at s re -- a fay drama.

My Brother Nikhil is one of the bt films ma, The film speaks about AIDS and also als wh homosexualy The film narrat a story of a swimmg champn Nikhil who gets AIDS The film is set Goa late 80s to early 90s and 's well rried out, the problems Nikhil fac are well handled The drama, emotns are brilliantly and Onir also go ahead and shows the homosexualy angle naturally unlike other films which overdo those portns The film leav you moist-eyed and also yet tri to open your ey regardg the misnceptn that AIDS is ed due to homosexualyDirectn by Onir is great Mic is good, the age of Konkani songs sus the theme wellSanjay Suri is one of the brilliant unrrated actors, he performs so flawlsly that I still wonr why he don't get much films nowdays? Juhi Chawla is fantastic, Purab Kohli as Sanjay Suri's gay partner is brilliant, he don't overdo Victor Banerjee is flawls, Lillete Dubey is perfect too Dipanna Sharma has a brief role and is okay, Shweta Kawaatra is good rt are okay.

However, I felt that maybe a stronger msage uld have e om the homosexual nature of their relatnship beg actg was very good all around, special honors go to Juhi for an excellent performance. I have iends that are homosexuals and they are some of the nict people I've ever met, and that film makg them out to be the sane horrible dividuals was a real turn that's another review! Dpe this claim, the film articulat gay subjectivy as emergg om a global, rights-based perspective, is argued.

INTERVIEW, ONIR, THOR, I AM ONIR, AND I AM GAY – “I AM THE SUABLE BOY”

Morny and diaspora are also explored as key featur of the reprentatn of Goa the film, pecially as they tie to issu of gay rights.