Gaysi

Interview : Artist, Balbir Krishan

The Cathartist — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:54:11 +0000

He is Queer, he is daring and he is freaking talented! Meet our very known and famous artist, Balbir Krishan. Q. Give us a brief about this collaboration with Engender and what Resist means to you. Engendered is a New York based organisation which has been working on the subject of gender and sexuality for the last few years. In 2012, Myna Mukharji, the director of Engendered opened a gallery named ‘Engendered Space’ in Delhi. Few months ago, when the horrific rape of a medical student rocked the nation, the artist community felt that we as artists should also protest against such tragic incidents. Myna Mukharji gathered the artist fraternity together for this cause. Today, I feel very proud that I am a part of Resist. Q. Could you tell us a bit about the exhibits and paintings you plan to showcase at Resist. What has been the inspiration behind your work? My exhibit in Resist is titled "The Inside Woman", the fable of Shiva, Mohini and Harihar. There is a very interesting story behind this. The legend goes that once Vishnu took the avatar of Mohini and came to Earth. After seeing Mohini, Shiva was attracted to her. They say that Mohini did not have a womb and that every drop of Shiva's semen is potent. So during the intercourse between Shiva and Mohini, few drops of semen fell on the thighs of Mohini. It was then, that from the thighs of Mohini a child was born; Harihar. My exhibit in Resist depicts this story, linking it with the present situation only. My insipiration behind this painting is the Director of Engendered Gallery, Myna Mukharji. Q. Resist aims at being a voice of protest against gender based violence. In your opinion, what role can art play in fighting social problems? In my opinion, Resist has emerged as a strong protest in the Indian contemporary art scenario. Resist is not only a medium, but it has become a movement. Not only artists but designers, musicians and people from other art fields have come together for this. It is also important that post Delhi and Chennai, Resist has reached Mumbai. Art is a strong medium that can be used to stand against societal wrong doings- to fight. But in reality there are very few protests against gender based violence. There are a few organisations/ bodies who are doing good work on this, but it is important that it reaches the masses. Especially when we speak about art, then these kind of protests are very few and far in between. Artists usually work at a very individual level. There are very few artists in India who are working on the subject of Gender and sexuality; the new generation of artists is working on it. Art has played an important role for a long time as a commentary on the society. Works like "Third of May" by Goya, "Olympia" by Manet and "Guernica" by Picasso still touch a raw nerve with society. Art plays an important role of wake up a sleeping society. Q. Do you think that the Indian society has become more accepting/ open to the concept of homosexuality in art? When people talk about society and homosexuality, the topic is still behind closed doors and they want it to remain like that. So it is natural that the society is not very willing to accept homosexuality in art. People who believe in this subject, are fighting for it as a cause. Every time we come and stand in front of the society in a strong manner, but still they look at us very astonishingly. I am sure there will be a day when everything around us will be normal and the society's questions will vanish. In the Indian art scenario, till a few years ago, the situation was quite different. Besides Bhupen Khakkar, very few artists used to work on homosexuality as a subject. Today the situation is very positive. A lot of artists are working on this subject. This is also important that these artists are not working behind any closed doors. They are in the open and quite literally telling the society that, "Look I am also here, so you cannot ignore me". Q. You were attacked earlier at an exhibition in Delhi. Is freedom of expression becoming difficult in our country? It is true that in India, it is not easy to work on what you think is right. There are a lot of problems. Not only the society but galleries, artists, art critics also suffer from homophobia. In 2011 when I wanted to do my solo exhibition on homosexuality, no one came forward to extend support. Galleries did not want to exhibit my work, art critics did not want to write my catalogue. Some people wanted to buy my work but their families did not want to hang my work in their homes. Some people supported me and when I did my show, there was a lot of protest and caused a lot of loss to me personally. When people realised that I was gay, a lot of close friends left me treating me like an untouchable. Today when I look back, I realise that after the attack I have become stronger and stand by my reality. Where the society is concerned, they were very forgiving but some so called guardians of the society became a problem. For them, freedom of expression meant to create upheaval in the society. Some people in this society want to tell you that you are not even worth taking a breath. Society forgets that freedom cannot be curtailed, it finds its own way. Q. As an artist, do you feel that queer art has become a part of the mainstream consciousness? How has expression of homosexuality in art evolved over the years? Queer art is still quite far away from becoming a part of the Indian mainstream, although the landscape is changing rapidly and lot of good things are happening. There are shows based on Queer art. Magazines are writing about it. There are debates and discussions happening. In 2012, the opening of Engendered marked a new beginning. Specifically for those artists who are working on gender and sexuality as their subjects and for those who cannot approach other galleries, Engendered is a happy reality. But still, a lot needs to change and a lot needs to happen. Society and the art fraternity should change their mode of thinking. We know it’s a long, long process. Q. Any message for up and coming artists? I am not comfortable giving any messages. All I want to say is that work and live life according to the thoughts and values you believe in. Never cheat yourself. Work hard. There is no substitute to hard work. [Resist : Opening on 17 May at 7:30 p.m. with performances starting at 9:30 p.m. at Gallery Beyond, Mumbai.]

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The Queer Front Row With Anupama Chopra

MJ — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:36:36 +0000

Will he? Won't he? Karan Johar step of the closet that is. Now to find out you will have to watch the show "Front Row with Anupama Chopra" on Star World this Friday, 17th May at 8.30PM. Though the show has nothing to do with confessions, and rapid fire rounds...but as they say life is full of uncertainties, and so is that "coming out" moment. So don't forget to watch the show this Friday! And in case you ain't a KJo admirer, well fret not because the show also features our very own Onir, Sridhar Rangayan and the gay dudes from Bombay Talkies all discussing 'Portrayal of Alternate Sexuality in Indian Cinema'. Thankfully in the last couple of years we have produced a handful of Queer content to be proud off, now some may not have been commercially successful but hey...they do make a valid reference point. Yes, but obviously barring the likes of Girlfriend. For some reason I have a feeling that this is going to be one hell of a fun ride! Here's a snippet of what is in store...

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The Koovagam Way

Broom — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:59:31 +0000

[caption id="attachment_21953" align="alignnone" width="500"] Picture Courtesy : Varsha Yeshwant Kumar[/caption]

In case you didn't know, on April 23rd and 24th, Kuthandavar-Aravan Mela (aka Koovagam Festival) came to a close. The festival annually attracts over 100,000 participants, many of whom come from the transgender communities from all over India. Check out filmmaker Jeff Roy's experiences attending and capturing the festival on film in his latest Fulbright-mtvU documentary video installment. In the video, Mohiniyattam dancer Taejha Singh Susheela retells the myth of Mohini (Krishna) and Aravan, the story upon which Koovagam is based.

Koovagam (Part 1)

[In one of his previous posts, Jeff Roy covered Dirty Talk 2.0 and Dirty Talk: A Little Bit. Check out the rest of his blog for these and more stories from within Mumbai's LGBTQ performance scene.]

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Kashish 2013 : Mumbai International Queer Film Festival (Schedule)

Sherlock Homo — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:07:28 +0000

At a press screening on Tuesday, May 14, 9 short films/documentaries from India, America, Cambodia, Australia and Spain were screened for the press. This was a glimpse of what ‘Kashish’ – the Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2013 aims to cover this year.

Kashish opens doors for the fourth consecutive year on May 22^nd, 2013 at Cinemax, Versova. The theme this year is “Towards Change”, and the country in focus this year is China. The festival aims at giving us a peak into the lives of LGBT people from countries where it is not only difficult to talk about LGBT issues, but also make films/documentaries on them. These include Pakistan, China, Serbia, Slovakia, and Iran to name a few. Of course, Kashish’s goal of providing a platform for young Indian LGBT films and filmmakers remains unchanged. This year at Kashish, the two Indian films not to be missed are Urmi by Jehangir Jani and …And The Unclaimed by Debalina. Year after year, Kashish aims at providing LGBT people with a big screen experience of LGBT movies; something we do not see too often in India. Interestingly however, they have found that 32% of their audiences are non-LGBT people; which means that not only are people interested in the LGBT content, but also the quality of films being chosen. This year, out of over 300 entries, only 132 could be picked, from across 40 different countries. Even though the festival spans over 4 days, none of the movies will be screened twice. Director of Kashish, Mr. Sridhar Rangayan hopes that in the years to come, more screens can be dedicated to Kashish so that some films can have multiple screening for the benefit of audience members who may have scheduling conflicts. Kashish is open from May 22, 2013 till May 26, 2013. Cinemax, Versova: from May 23 till May 26, from 10:00 AM onwards. Alliance Francaise De Bombay: from May 23 till May 25, from 10:00 AM onwards.

And here is the film schedule :

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India, No Woman’s Land?

Chicklet — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:30:25 +0000

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Silk to Slim-Sum (Fitness and Nutrition Workshop)

The Cathartist — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:14:16 +0000

So when was the last time you asked yourself what sort of food you are putting in your body? or promised yourself that you would workout but never managed to get up and enroll yourself into a gym? We all think about eating better, exercising and living a healthier life. But do we know what to eat? How to work out? If you don't, its time to drag your lazy bums to The humsafar trust this Sunday to attend the fun filled diet plan from out favourite dietitian Mihir Maher followed by exercising tips and crash course by Rakesh Shetty. If that wasn't enough, we will be exciting your taste buds with the healthiest picks of the season. Be there or be round(quite literally). Place: The Humsafar Trust, 3rd Floor, Manthan Plaza, next to Chakra restaurant, near Vakola Masjid, Vakola, Santacruz East Time: 5pm, 19 May 2013 For any further info, contact Edwin 09029001185

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Interview : Artist, Baaraan Ijlal

Sherlock Homo — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:57:56 +0000

Baaraan Ijlal's work always has to do with gender and queerness in some way, and gives us great pleasure to introduce her to the Gaysi audience. Q. Let’s start with why you chose to be a part of Resist? I find inspiration in the community, and prefer working amid its concerns than in isolation with it. Resist attempts to highlight the dialogue between the arts and the community; which is my work ethic too. Q. What is the subject of your works? And how did choose that subject? My work is about desire, multiple identities within ourselves, the violence that confronts us in terms of norms and disparities. It is also about the care and pain we take to live through all the turbulence as if nothing has happened. This inspires my work. Q.What is it supposed to invoke in the audience, and what do you want them to take back from this? I want my audience to take back all kinds of possibilities from my work. I want to discover something new, each time I see my own work and want the audience too to be a part of a certain infinity. Am i able to do that, is something I ask myself each time I paint. Q. Resist is meant to be an art protest against gender inequality and violence, how do you think art educates/informs society? A canvas is the freest space for an artist; like a blank page is the most empowering for a writer. To use it boldly, truly and emotionally is the creator's prerogative, her search for the self. It is the society that informs the artist, it informs me. Art can transform the point of view of a person in a way that is more effective than dialogue or debate. Society can only benefit from artistic expression. Q. Do you think that Indian society is ready for the depiction of homosexuality, and more importantly transgender issues, through art? Do you find the audience to be generally accepting? There is never a ripe time for anything to happen. 'Society' is ever ready. Things don't happen because somebody is not making it happen. We have to make things happen, Always; in the past, Today, and in the future. Keeping some things visible and some others invisible is actually something of our own doing. From the community to the level of individual, we are the doers. We are naysayers. [Resist : Opening on 17 May at 7:30 p.m. with performances starting at 9:30 p.m. at Gallery Beyond, Mumbai.]

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Gaysi Zine Vol. 2 : Call For Submission Wake Up

The Cathartist — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:30:55 +0000

You may have seen the tweets online but we're now making it official. We are publishing the Gaysi Zine vol. 2 this August. The response to the previous Zine was so overwhelmingly positive, we feel strongly encouraged to launch the Zine Vol 2 at a much bigger scale this time. A very good friend and Gaysi colleague recently reread Amruta Patil’s ‘Adi Parva’ – Graphic Mahabharata. She brought our attention to some powerful lines.

“Stay with the story. To know if a tale is worth its weight in gold, check if it reveals itself threefold. In your bloodstream. In the town square. In the turning of galaxies. If it makes you giddy just to think of the scope of the tale: Gold”

These few lines had a profound effect on her and reminded us of the power of a story. A story so liquid it swirls in your bloodstream. A story so stimulating, it challenges the stereotypes and goes on to becomes the talk of the town. A story so mutinous that it changes lives and catalyses the very turning of the galaxies. After the Indian HC struck down the 377 in July 2009, we have been seeing a lot of events/parties happening in metros and other big cities.. But the effect has not trickled down to small towns. For them, it’s still a dark place where their identities are questioned and their rights challenged at every step. This Zine aims to reach people living in smaller cities who have no access to private parties or public spaces and hence feel isolated from the queer movement. We hope, these stories will be ‘the stories worth its weight in gold’ for them. Our stories will be written for those who still believe that they are the only ones who are different. Gaysi has a decent readership now (over 500 + new hits everyday) and a spectacular presence on Social Media. It has grown to become a widely recognized name in the recent months due to the popularity of Dirty Talk series of open mic evenings and the support of well known names in the Indian Queer circle, like author Parmesh Shahani, Director Onir, Mythology Guru Dr. Devdutt Pattniak, Activist Ashok Row Kavi etc. And Queer support groups like Humsafar Trust, LABIA, etc. It has been featured many a times in mainstream media like Time Out, DNA, Mumbai Mirror & Mumbai Boss. We hope, this would enable us to take the Zine to a LOT of people. In this volume of the Zine, sexuality is not the sole focus. There’s more to us than our sexual orientation. We hope to share that with the world. We are looking at stories of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender & transsexual people, as well as the heterosexual people who influence our lives. We seek stories that challenge the perceived borders between straight & Queer or even gender. Genres can be young adult, literary, romantic, erotic, humor, sci-fi, fantasy, crime, graphic art etc. Just about ANYTHING with words. We want our stories to be funny and sardonic and sarcastic and deliciously satirical (or Satyrical) and to make pointed critiques that are sharp and effective without being just plain-old-whingey. And that’s why we look to you.There are only three rules: 1. No homophobia/transphobia/misogyny. (Duh!) 2. No duplicate or plagiarized content. Your work must be 100% ORIGINAL. 3. We reserve the right to edit content to make it more readable. We will endeavour to keep the tone and feel of your submission intact. If the content needs a major overhaul, our editor (ME) will get in touch with you to discuss the edits. What do you get? Besides making you famous and giving you the taste of limelight. This is what we are offering, if selected: 1. Your entry will be printed in the Zine 2. Top 3 entries will receive Amazon or Flipkart gift voucher of Rs. 2000 each And incase your entry does not make it to the Zine but we find it perfectly suited for Gaysi Blog, we shall reward you with Amazon or Flipkart gift voucher of Rs. 1000. Copyright policy Well it's better to clear than be sorry. So please do read our copyright terms; 1. If selected to be published in the Zine, the content's complete copyright will rest with Gaysi. Of course credit will be given to you, if the same is re-published in future. And yes, prior intimation of the same shall be sent to you. 2. In case you would like to re-publish the content on another online portal or offline medium, Gaysi's prior approval is a must. If approved, Gaysi must be given due credit. If you have any other query regarding the copyright policies, please feel free to email us (gaysifamily@gmail.com).

In order to be published by August, we have set our deadline for all submissions as May 12th May 25th. All entries must be emailed to gaysifamily@gmail.com with "submission for Zine 2" as subject.

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When All The Gay Boys

Akhil Katyal — Mon, 13 May 2013 04:00:14 +0000

When all the gay boys get their shit together, go to the gym and get fit together, I sit and generally complain about the weather and all that, she says - That is why you're fat! Now, now, I say, what's the hustle, have you had a look at my arm, lately a tendon threatens to look like a muscle, so be calm, and by the way, I am very good health-wise, twice a day, I think about exercise. (Thanks to Pramada Menon)

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KASHISH 2013 Looks To Crowd Funding

The Cathartist — Sat, 11 May 2013 08:20:48 +0000

After tasting success in 2012, KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2013 – India’s biggest LGBT film fest –is once again turning to the social media phenomenon of crowd funding to raise finances. Aimed at keeping the festival free and accessible to audiences, organisers say crowd funding also gives audience a feeling of ownership. "Crowd funding is not just a means to raise money, but also to connect to a diverse range of people and seek their engagement with the festival," says Sridhar Rangayan, Festival Director. In 2012, when KASHISH took the help of social media to raise funds, it was the first time in India that such an attempt was made to crowd fund a film festival. ``Last year when we started the crowd funding, we were unsure if people would contribute money to support a film festival, but the response was tremendous. People not only in India but from across the world came forward to contribute. They were also very happy to receive the incentives we sent across, like DVDs and T-shirts,’’ adds Rangayan Kashish has signed up with internet portal Wishberry.in to provide a payment gateway for the crowd funding venture. "KASHISH is a not-for-profit LGBT initiative and only through corporate support and generous contribution from individuals, that we can make it an annual sustainable event. We are asking for a small support to continue bringing contemporary queer films from around the world for a big screen experience. And hope everyone contributes to this movement 'towards change'," says Rangayan Crowd-funding is an emerging trend across the world where an individual or an organisation pitches an idea/ venture that requires funding and sources the funds by reaching out through social media. India has already been part of the trend – with funds being raised through crowd finding for a variety of causes from social initiatives to Bollywood films KASHISH 2013 will be held from May 22-26 2013 at Cinemax Versova, Andheri West and from May 23-25, 2013 at Alliance Française de Bombay, Marine Lines. KASHISH is not only a festival that spotlights LGBTQ cinema, but has also become a landmark festival in Mumbai’s cultural event calendar. The festival theme this year is `Towards Change’. The festival will make a special effort to program films and have panel discussions that not only deal with LGBT themes, but also those that relate to families and friends of LGBT people. KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is the first and only gay & lesbian film festival in India to be held in a mainstream theatre and the only queer festival to receive clearance from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The festival is organized by Solaris Pictures. For further updates on the festival and to register, please visit: KASHISH- Mumbai International Queer Film Festival Festival Website: http://www.mumbaiqueerfest.com/ | Festival Blog: http://kashishmiqff.blogspot.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Kashish.MIQFF | Twitter: http://twitter.com/Kashish2012

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