Queer artistes on the stories they want to see on-screen
Queer artistes from across the country pitch their thoughts on the kind of stories they want to see on-screen, and how they can help in alleviating detrimental stereotypes, while also recommending titles to watch
(Originally published in The Hindu on June 25, 2024)
For long, the plea from the LGBTQIA+ community to storytellers has been this: “Let us tell our stories since our lives are largely different from how cis-gender heterosexuals perceive us.” Over the years, queer narratives in Indian cinema have seen significant steps forward; yet, what is considered queer cinema remains limited, focusing only on a few queer identities, whereas the gender and sexuality spectrum has infinite shades of colour and innumerable complexities.
Even popular stories from queer filmmakers have only taken a crack at either gender or sexuality, but hardly the intersection between gender and sexuality, or the many different queer identities. The state is such that Delhi-based queer actor Vidur Sethi — who starred in Onir’s Pine Cone, which made a splash at the Kashish Pride Film Festival last year — believes that we are far from even reaching the term ‘queer cinema,’ though several encouraging attempts might end up creating a space.
Films like Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga and Kaathal: The Core have been affirmative and in line with what the community is about, says Bangalore-based drag artist, Alex Mathew a.k.a Maya The Drag Queen, while agreeing that a lot needs to be done to break existing stereotypes and to normalise queerness. Pointing out how the limited scale of good indie films from queer filmmakers restricts the themes from reaching larger audiences, Hyderabad-based drag queen and expressionist dancer Patruni Sastry adds that we need a voice like Ryan Murphy in India to take queer cinema beyond the festival circles.
Chennai-based actor-filmmaker and activist Malini Jeevarathinam, who had a commendable turn as a queer cop in Inspector Rishi earlier this year, believes that good queer stories are more of a necessity now. “Over the last six to seven months, queerphobia on social media has been at a peak. Someone recently posted a video saying they will never accept queer identities except transgenders. Good stories can educate and sensitise people to queerness,” they say.
Along with Negha Shahin, a Chennai-based actor known for her performance in Antharam, the aforementioned artists tell us what they wish for the future of queer cinema.
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