CSB : India's Premier Straight - Friendly Gay Blog

Aligarh - A Movie Done Right

2016-02-29T15:58:00.002+05:30

When Ishani Banerjee (my ex-colleague) told me that she is working on a story about a gay man for a Bollywood film, my only request to her was to try to stay away from the usual stereotypical jokes and representations used against LGBT community. She said it will be a very different film, and promised to be a great one too.

And that's what I experienced when Aligarh showed me the life of Professor Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, who was a victim of sting operation that exposed his private moments to the outside world - which also led to his suspension from the Aligarh university. Aligarh is very serious in its cause, one that understands the societal ostracisation and contempt that the gay community fears about, if they come out. It is a reflection of the fact that how even when the law is favourable towards the LGBT community (Section 377 was decriminalized by the Delhi High Court during that time), the troubles for them are far from over if the mindset of the society doesn't change.

From the starting frame to the ending one, the movie has an undercurrent of loneliness - the one that was experienced by Professor Siras (and also by many closeted gays). There would be only very handful of movies from Bollywood that give a respectful and sensible characterization of a homosexual person like how Aligarh has done. I especially loved the portrayal of the kiss exchanged between a man and a woman, with the next scene that of between a man and man. Interestingly, the first one happens in public and the latter happens in the private confines of a room for which Professor Siras had to go through the ordeals of being shamed and alienated.

Aligarh is a bold attempt of telling about the violation and unfairness done towards Professor Siras. Through that, it also casts light on the predicaments suffered by India's LGBT community as it is - without any masala. And that makes this movie a must-watch.

Trailer of Aligarh:

Check out these related posts too!
Homosexuality in 'Bombay Talkies' - 2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Backward
If 'Slumdog Millionaire' Was Unfair To Mumbai
Dostana

CSB Promotion - My Son Is Gay

2014-08-05T21:45:00.003+05:30

When Lokesh Kumar attended the Indian LGBT film festivals, he found that there were not many Indian movies made on alternate sexualites. Being an ardent film buff, he had always wanted to be part of cinema. But without proper contacts and knowledge and finance, he found it difficult to move forward. Even then, he felt it was important to portray this subject and made his first movie about the acceptance of a guy’s homosexuality by his elder brother. Now a few short films later, Lokesh has emerged himself as an independent filmmaker, who wants to highlight the social issues that move him through his films. ‘My Son Is Gay’ is his very first venture in incarnating that intention.

The Writer and Director of 'My Son Is Gay,' Lokesh Kumar

The movie ‘My Son Is Gay,’ tries to portray the emotional journey of an Indian mother when her son comes out to her as homosexual. It also deals with what the gay son goes through being in a society which denies him the identity, acceptance, love and affection. Emphasizing the relevance of his movie, Lokesh points out, “I see that the LGBT community is facing lot of rejections by the society. Though it is not a much talked about topic in our country, it is happening a lot secretly – within our hearts, within our minds. This movie hopes to foster the acceptance of LGBT children and understand their emotions.”

The two main characters – the son and the mother – are played by actors Nakshatra Bagwe and Anupama Kumar respectively.

A scene from the movie, 'My Son Is Gay'

Nakshatra has been involved in films on queer themes since his debut movie and this will be his eighth film based on homosexuality. Being an openly gay man, he is well aware of the stereotypes that get propagated vis-à-vis the actual reality. For Nakshatra, this was a dream come true project when Lokesh approached him for the role. “When I watched ‘Prayers for Bobby,’ I had wished for movies on similar theme to be made in India. It is important for all of us to make our voices heard in the mainstream and I want to portray us in a positive realistic manner,” he asserts.

Anupama has been dabbling with theatre since she was 5 and she claims to be the designated family entertainer. A few hundred ad films later, Anupama now feels that she has reached where she wanted to be, doing the kind of cinema she had always wanted to be involved in. “I have many gay friends and like everyone else, they also are victims of this prejudice. When we were shooting the ‘coming out’ scene, Nakshatra broke down as it was very close to his heart. That insight made us all realize how real this issue is.”

When Lokesh came up with this project, there were people who questioned his choice of selecting a gay-themed subject and he had to make them realize its importance. “I’m good at pitching my project and no one can influence me on the topic I choose to film. Initially some technicians and actors had the reservation that it might brand them as LGBT. But once we found the right people who see cinema as an art, we focused on making the film and the theme became irrelevant.” Even then the challenges to make this movie are not eased. “In indie film making, every day is a challenge. And for a theme like this, the challenges give a multiplier effect when it comes to funding, promotions, sourcing the right talent, bringing stars to make the project mainstream, managing social media and so on,” Lokesh explains.

The movie is currently under production and the makers are hopeful to complete the film through crowd-funding. 25 percent of the movie has been completed and the team has come out with a trailer-cum-pitch video to encourage contribution from the public. "It’s now purely in the audience’s hands. We wish to complete the movie at the earliest, hope the people will open up their hearts and contribute to the project. Do support us and we will give a great movie which India has never seen before, a movie which is crucial for our country,” Lokesh stresses.

The trailer cum pitch video of 'My Son Is Gay'

The contributions to the movie (as low as INR 100 or $1) can be done at http://fundmydream.in/campaigns/my-son-is-gay

Movie Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/MySonisGayTheMovie

Check out these related posts too!
CSB Promotion - Pandora's Box
CSB Promotion - Chennai Rainbow Film Festival 2013
CSB Promotion - KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2013

The Fifth Kerala Queer Pride March

2014-07-30T12:44:00.002+05:30

Photography by Sreejith K Soman

Ever since I returned to Kochi after my five years in Mumbai, I am sensing a different vibe from the current generation - a vibe of open-mindedness, of cosmopolitanism and of breaking away from the conservative shackles exhibited by the previous generations. That feeling was proved true when almost 500 people gathered in Kochi last Saturday to march for the 5th Kerala Queer Pride.

A major chunk of the participants were straight supporters who feel strongly for the LGBT rights cause. Varkey Parakal, a class 12 student, feels that this is a human rights cause as well. "I have always been a supporter for causes regarding human rights and the LGBT rights are not any different." They were also not worried about getting labeled as gay while supporting the cause. There were straight supporters who held placards that shouted, ‘Happy Being Gay.’ Mohini Mohandas, another class 12 student says, “I don’t mind being called lesbian, bisexual etc. Because it would be like a person getting my age wrong - something harmless and correctable.”

Photography by Surjith S Pai

The pride march is also a group therapy of sorts for the gay people and the watching public, opines Kishor Kumar, a software engineer and writer who had come all the way from Calicut - a few districts north of Kochi. “Most members of the LGBT community live in constant fear and shame; this is a chance for them to witness the support and acceptance showered by the public.”

Photography by Surjith S Pai

The Kochi queer pride march had many firsts to it.

- This was the first time a queer pride happened in Kochi. Previous editions were held in the neighbouring district of Thrissur and once in Calicut.

- This was the first queer pride that was held in Kerala after the Supreme Court struck down the earlier Delhi High Court verdict which had decriminalized non-penile-vaginal sexual acts.

- This was the first pride march in Kerala which saw people, barring one or two, marching without any mask.

- Kerala queer prides started happening after the High Court verdict, hence all the previous versions were celebrations of sorts. This time, now with the Supreme Court verdict, the pride also had the flavour of protest - demanding to do away with the Section 377 law.

- The Kochi queer pride also saw the highest participation so far compared to any of the previous Kerala queer pride editions.

Photography by Surjith S Pai

The pride march was flagged off by the celebrity and TV personality, Ranjini Haridas, who had spoken passionately in favour of the LGBT community in a news interview at the time of the Supreme Court verdict. Before the flag off, she addressed the gathering saying, "As a woman I feel safer in the company of people from the LGBT community. They are some of the most passionate, talented and honest people I know." In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, she further adds, "We are brought up in a society where heterosexual relations are a norm and anything else is considered immoral. However, if you ask anyone in the LGBT community, they will tell you it's not really a choice, that they were born this way."

Celebrity and TV Personality, Ranjini Haridas | Photography by Ajay Paul

Ranjini Haridas with Kerala Queer Pride participants |
Photography by Sreejith K Soman

By now the monsoon clouds were gathering fast, darkening the sky. But it felt like even the nature was supporting the cause - throughout the 90 minute walk, not even a drop of rain tried to interrupt us. From the premises of the Kerala High Court, the march commenced with a group of Harleys leading the way. A line of police accompanying on one side to control the participants and traffic, the procession inched forward shouting slogans - “My Body My Right!”, “Section 377 Down Down!” While the band played popular Malayalam and Hindi songs, some participants danced to the tunes, some waved the rainbow flags and colourful balloons; some held the placards with pro-LGBT messages – a visual which was a first for the Kochi public, attracting many curious onlookers. The pride walk finally culminated at the Rajendra Maidan, post which the public meeting and cultural performances were held at the nearby Mahrajas College hall.

The Head of Alternative Law Forum, Arvind Narain (on the right, holding the flag) | Photography by Surjith S Pai

The transgender rights activist, Kalki Subramaniam | Photography by Surjith S Pai

The fifth Kerala Queer Pride march was organized by Queer Pride Keralam – a coalition of approximately 30 organizations working on art, culture, social, human rights and environmental issues. Apart from Ranjini Haridas, this year’s march saw the presence of well-known personalities such as Kalki Subramaniam - the transgender rights activist from Chennai, Shahabaz Aman – the Malayalam playback singer, Rekha Raj – the Dalit rights activist and Arvind Narain – one of the prominent lawyers fighting the Section 377 case in the Supreme Court and the Head of Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore. A memorandum aimed to be presented to the Kerala government, which puts forward the many urgent needs of sexuality minorities of Kerala, was also signed by hundreds of people who attended the public meeting.

Photography by Ajay Paul

Photography by Surjith S Pai

To see more photos of the Kochi pride march, click here.

Check out these related posts too!
Why It Is Important For Parents To Tell Their Kids To Be Gay Friendly
My First March For Equality
Bangalore Gay Pride March Montage By Amar Mitra

CSB Xclusive! Unni Mukundan - The Gay Icon Of South India

2014-03-06T01:36:00.000+05:30

Very few would be unaware of Unni Mukundan, the South Indian sensation and heartthrob for girls and guys alike. He came to the silver screen just three years ago, but his popularity has skyrocketed even within such short span, making him one of the most desirable actors in the Malayalam cinema. The reason is simple. Unni represents the current generation's concept of a Malayalee hunk. With his good looks and equally well maintained physique, only very few South Indian actors oozes sexual appeal like him. From playing roles of romantic lead, hero, villain to character roles and even acting as a 60 year old man, Unni has tried to take up wide range of personas in these three years to showcase his versatility.

Interestingly, Unni never had an acting background. After completing school, he was working in a call center in Gujarat. But soon he became bored of the monotonous life of BPO. He decided to try his luck in the film industry. “When I was thinking of getting into films, I wanted to be a director because he is the top most authority who takes the shots.” So he searched the contact details of Lohithadas - the well known screenwriter, playwright, director, and producer in Malayalam cinema and forwarded his photographs to him. “Lohithadas Sir replied saying he will call me after 30 days and exactly one month later, he did. I was training under him for almost one and a half years. He offered me a role in his film, but then he suffered a sudden demise.” Unni finally got his debut film in Tamil and ended up playing Prithviraj’s character in the Tamil remake of Malayalam hit, ‘Nandanam.’ (Coincidently, ‘Nandanam’ is Prithviraj’s first movie as well.)

"Thankfully, I have never been out of work ever since." In fact, Unni Mukundan's dates are already filled with four movies where he is playing the lead. He does only one movie at a time and he has just wrapped up the shooting of ‘The Last Supper’, which will also be showcasing Unni’s physique as never before. “I had to lose almost 15 kilos for the role.” This required him to take up an exhaustive workout routine. He had to burn fat as fast as possible because only few weeks were left post wrapping up the previous film. “I train for two and half hours in the day and another 40 minutes in the evening. I do lots of cardio as well as weight training. Even though I have lost 15 kilos, I have tried to maintain my muscular physique.”

During his school days, Unni used to be slim and he often got bullied by other boys. “I couldn’t stand up for myself because I was so low in my confidence about my physique. I was told I was thin and weak, even though I hardly remember falling sick. This made me introvert and unconfident. I wore full sleeve shirts. I remember I had experienced problems in speaking as well.”

It was then Unni’s mother who advised him to start working out to ward off his insecurity feelings. He started exercising at the age of 15. He used all the anger and frustration which he felt towards his bullies to push himself at the gym. Unni says that brought a host of positive changes into his life. “Everything about me improved after I started exercising. My personality, the way I talk, my confidence.. By the time I reached college I was considered as one of the fittest guys around.”

Now exercising is like a meditation for Unni. “I have been in various states of body types that one can label. Skinny, lean, bulky, muscular, athlete, whatever forms you can think of. And I realized if you are trying to please other’s expectations with your physique, you will always be doing only that. One should work out for the sole aim of keeping fit and nothing else. It’s all about conquering yourself by trying to push your limits. And when you succeed in achieving that, it will help you gain confidence in yourself.”

Not surprisingly, Unni Mukundan has become the motivation for countless young guys to take up working out seriously. Through the Facebook page managed solely by him, he receives mails of gratitude and appreciation for inspiring them. “It is a great feeling to know that I was a cause of happiness in someone’s life. I started the page to get direct feedback from my viewers. My fans may not be able to meet me or talk to me when they see me in public. But through my page, they will be able to share their frank opinions and suggestions. “

So does he get messages from gay guys too? “Yes, I do. I appreciate that they see me as a gay icon. Sometimes the messages are very personal and they try to approach in a very emotional way.” But Unni understands that there is nothing to be offended about. “I don’t get repulsed when I receive such messages and I don’t question them why they have to feel that way towards a man. I know it is a natural feeling just the way I would feel for a woman.”

The exposure of being bullied and made to feel powerless during childhood makes it easier for Unni to feel all the more for the community. “I know how it feels when someone tries to exert their power on you. I have few gay friends and I realize their life is difficult. But I believe over the course of time, the LGBT community should find the strength to live openly without thinking how others would react. It’s your world that should matter first and then think about others.”

But he also gives a word of caution, “The gay community should be careful about their actions and they should act responsibly. Being a minority, it is a task to get accepted by the society. Their actions today will decide how they will be treated tomorrow, so they have to work towards a better life for their younger brothers.”

In future, if Unni is offered the role of a gay character, he says he will be willing to take it ahead. He also hopes that it could help the community in getting the much needed visibility to steer away from the stereotypes that usually gets associated with them. "Personally I feel, a gay character should not be just used for portraying sex. I would like to highlight other emotions and phases of a gay man. Before taking up the role, I would love to sit with a gay guy and understand him, what it is like to live a gay life in India and what he had to go through.”

So is he open to spreading his charm in Bollywood too? “I’m really open to acting in Hindi films. I’m fluent in Hindi because all my childhood and teenage were spent in Gujarat. If I get an interesting script and a proper launch, why not?”

Check out these related posts too!
CSB Xclusive! Nav Sihag
CSB Xclusive! Nolan Lewis - Mr. Gay India 2013
CSB Xclusive! Rajeev Govinda Pillai

CSB In Conversation With Blake Woodhams

2014-02-26T08:52:00.000+05:30

South African photographer, Blake Woodhams is no outlander to Indian culture. Durban being his hometown, which is home to the largest population of Indians outside of India, Blake finds Indian culture and food close to his heart.

Being brought up in a country where gay and straight people enjoy equal rights, Blake feels that the world knows of the problems that gay Indians are facing, but there is no face or personality on the issue. But Blake has come up with an interesting concept to address this. He aims to showcase these faces by composing an exhibition that will travel South Africa (where human rights are a big deal) to bring awareness and make our plight personal to South Africans. Similarly he will be photographing gay people in South Africa, who enjoy all the same rights as straight people and bring it to India as an exhibition. By involving both the countries, he wants to showcase the two sets to the world - one, where gays are treated as second class citizens and the other, where they are considered as equals.

Currently in Mumbai, Blake shares his thoughts with CSB readers on the recent Supreme Court 377 verdict, his project on Indian LGBT that brings him to the city and his views on South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, Nelson Mandela who was seen as an equal rights champion.

Crazy Sam (CS): Welcome to India! Guess this is your first visit to our country.

Blake Woodhams (BW): No, actually it will be my second trip! I was lucky enough to visit late in 2008 for 10 days. 7 days in Mumbai with 3 in Goa. The trip was very short and I felt like a proper tourist. The highlights were making a new friend and being bitten with a curiosity to visit Mumbai again.

CS: So is there something that you are particularly looking forward to?

BW: This trip, I am most excited about spending time in the suburbs, seeing the park, catching trains and mostly, after hosting him so many times in Johannesburg, I am looking very forward to seeing where my friend Nolan Lewis (Mr. Gay India 2013) lives, meeting his friends and being able to experience his life.

CS: Could you tell us something about your photography?

BW: With each client, brief and shoot, the message changes slightly, but I do have one master theme. The underlying message of all my work, even my commercial & corporate work, is hope. My aim is always to find the best in a person and make that the centre of the message for that image.

As Indians, you will understand the poverty of Africa, even if you have never been there. South Africa is a place where there are lots of poverty but also lots of hope. It's a message I want to share. I believe that hope is something we can nurture and, when it has momentum, it can change the course of history.

CS: Currently what all assignments are keeping you busy?

BW: Any photographer that says a particular assignment keeps him busy for too long is either not busy or not good! (Laughs)

Assignments come in, are evaluated, executed and we move on to the next. I love my career and how different every shoot is, but they don’t stay for long and I am constantly being attracted to the challenge of the next one.

However, the highlight for January 2014 was two shoots for Food & Home magazine in South Africa. Both were challenging and fun.

The first was a food feature on potatoes. Potatoes are one of my favourite foods but they’re quite simple looking things and it was a challenge to make the photographs interesting and "delicious".

The second shoot was for a celebrity feature. 6 South African celebrities were asked: "If you had one more day to live, what would your last meal be?” I photographed the 3 from Johannesburg, while another photographer shot the 3 from Cape Town. The location I used is a recently refurbished theatre and the red velvet, red carpet and red wallpaper made for a fantastic palette. The interesting part was that each photographer got to shoot half of a double page spread - one half of the dinner table in Johannesburg and the other half in Cape Town. Then an individual editorial portrait of each with their meal. I would have loved to share the pics with you all but the month of issue is April, so until then, unfortunately I can’t share anything.

CS: That is quite interesting! I know you are in India to pursue a project. Could you share details about that? And how can people approach you to be part of this?

BW: I am in India to grow my network, produce an Indian portfolio of work and spend time in a city I’ve fallen in love with. I’m open for bookings but, while I’m in India, I am going to be working on a personal project too. It is this project that I would like to share and invite participants.

My plan is to help change the way India and the rest of the world sees India's LGBT community. I've come up with an idea for an exhibition. If you've felt like you wanted to do something to help your community, now is your chance. If you are happy to be photographed by me and answer a few questions, please email me to find out more.

CS: What do you feel about the recent judgment by the Indian Supreme Court on Section 377? According to you, how should the Indian LGBT movement proceed at this juncture?

BW: Your battle is for recognition. The first step is to make yourselves known. As a community, you have no identity. Without identity you cannot be recognized.

Some brave individuals are making themselves known. You should join them and show your country who you are.

People’s perception of homosexuality changes when they personally know someone who is gay. It is easy for a straight person to condemn gay people, but when their brother or cousin or son is gay, their love for you will spread to the community at large.

CS: What would you like to tell Indian LGBT in terms of gaining acceptance or seen as equals by the straight people?

BW: As gay people, we are more often judged for lack of morals than we are for loving someone of the same sex.

Too many gay men become immoral and full of lust. We can’t expect the straight community to respect us if we treat each other like meat. Stay true to the principles and teaching that your parents gave you. Be good men who treat others with respect and love.

CS: So how is Johannesburg in terms of openness to LGBT culture?

BW: South Africa has one of the most liberal and free constitutions in the world. Even though many of our cultures are old and strict, as a nation we recognize everyone’s right to be themselves.

Many people still feel that homosexuality is wrong or they don't understand it yet, but our law protects us and many people stand up for LGBT rights. We have the right to marry and adopt children. With leaders like Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, we are very blessed.

CS: Nelson Mandela was seen as an LGBT rights champion and I believe he was considered as a gay icon by South Africans. How did he handle the anti-LGBT views?

BW: As you probably know, black people were oppressed under the apartheid government. Gay persecution was just as bad, if not worse sometimes, than black rights. However the advantage was that you can hide being gay, you can't hide being black.

Nelson Mandela wasn't only a black leader, he was a leader for all of South Africa. He championed true democracy, not just for his fellow black people, but for all people. He wasn't pro-gay. He was only pro-democracy and pro-equality. He didn't fight for gay rights, he fought for all people's rights.

The beauty of the "struggle", as it's known in South Africa, is that it was a fight by all people for all people. The enemy was a supremacist white Afrikaner government and some of the white population, while the rest of the country either turned a blind eye or fought for a free and equal state, led by Nelson Mandela.

Nelson Mandela showed South Africa, by example, that if we want to be truly free, we must give everyone else their freedom too.

CS: And lastly, what do you think about Indian men? And any bollywood hero that you are particularly fond of? :-)

BW: You shouldn't ask me questions about the visual realm if you want a short answer! ;-)

I’d like to separate those 2 questions, but answer them together.

My appreciation of Indian men is not well represented by the Bollywood that I’m familiar with. To me, the beauty of an Indian man is in the subtle contrast between pitch-black hair and the deep brass-brown of his skin.

Light bouncing off healthy skin, wet hair, the white of teeth or from around onyx eyes is captivating. It’s the reason that gold and brightly coloured, ornate fabrics look so good on Indian people. Your physical palette is designed for highlights and sparkle.

To finish my answer, even though it's the most likely response, I must say that I most captivated by Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. My favourite Bollywood movies are Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Devdas and Mohabbatein. So you can understand my actor choices. These two actors are so iconic because of their incredible talent. Amitabh strikes fear, or soothes with his deep strong voice. Shah Rukh makes you fall in love with his eyes just as easily as he makes you cry. There isn't even Hollywood equals I can liken them to!

But as a complete spin, my favorite actor in Bollywood is Kajol ;-)

To be part of Blake’s project on Indian LGBT, you can mail him at blake[at]woodhams.co.za to know more. Blake will be in Mumbai till Wednesday, March 4th.
Check out Blake's photography website at http://www.blakewoodhams.co.za/

Check out these related posts too!
CSB In Conversation With MB Padmakumar
CSB In Conversation With Nolan Lewis
CSB In Conversation With Dan Skinner

CSB Promotion - Pandora's Box

2013-11-27T01:01:00.000+05:30

It’s not that often we get to see plays touching upon gay theme. But a group of young budding amateur artists will be showcasing their latest play - ‘Pandora’s Box’, this Saturday in Mumbai, which aims to present the universal theme of love from a queer perspective. This young team calls themselves Metamorphosis to express art in different forms but with a meaning and perspective, and to deconstruct the stereotypes and norms. Pandora’s Box is the team’s second outing after the success of their debut play - Quest, which had run to packed audience.

The plot of Pandora’s Box revolves around the randomness of life and exploring different forms of love – the one that is innocent, the one that is a fairy tale, the one that has a thought behind, the one that vacillates between friendship and commitment, and the one that results out of loneliness and seclusion. The protagonist spends a particular night contemplating and reminiscing about the days long gone by. And as he looks back into his past, the letters, calendars, pictures and posters all come to life making him recall the good and the bad.

Omkar Bhatkar who has written, directed and also acted in Pandora’s Box feels that he is taking a risk by venturing into a topic that could be palatable to only a few. He says, “To even think of writing Pandora’s Box was very challenging. Already the audience who watches theatre plays is niche and then you write a play from a queer perspective. So how many would really like to invest that kind of time, effort and money to watch such plays? But I believe it’s an important story that needs to be told even if there are only few people willing to witness it.”

The team staged a raw version of Pandora’s Box at auditions for Thespo, an annual youth theatre festival and they were pleasantly surprised to see that it had moved several members of the audience to tears. Judging from the reviews received, the cast and crew realized that this play was meant for everyone. “Eventually it’s a universal theme of love. It can be presented from a queer perspective, but also can be easily identified from any perspective,” Omkar opines.

The team Metamorphosis comprises of medical students, engineers, architects, models as well as theatre actors. But what brings these people of different occupations and backgrounds is their passion for acting and theatre.

Pandora’s Box will be staged this Saturday, November 30th at Temperence, Next to Rizvi College of Hotel Management, Bandra West, Mumbai.

The play performance is restricted to an adult audience.

For Tickets:
The tickets are priced at Rs. 200/- for 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. show.
You can call 09833587470, 09821173756, 09930936865 for tickets.

Tickets can also be collected from the venue till Friday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Check out these related posts too!
CSB Promotion - Chennai Rainbow Festival 2013
CSB Promotion - KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2013
CSB Promotion: Queer Ink Offer For CSB Readers!

Why It Is Important For Parents To Tell Their Kids To Be Gay Friendly

2013-11-04T20:02:00.002+05:30

One of my colleagues recently stated that gays are always sentimental, depressed and emotional; as if these conditions are natural if one is gay. But were we born with these conditions? No! They were inflicted upon us knowingly or unknowingly, which if we trace back to our childhood, will help us to understand.

I began to get confused about my sexuality when I was around 7. There was something that got me attracted to men at that very early age. And I didn't know there could be the remotest possibility that there are other guys who are experiencing the same. The visuals and texts around me suggested that a man is to be paired with a woman. The thought that I could be the sole person in this world to have such thoughts and not knowing where to seek help could be one of the early traumas I had to go through. I remember the numerous conversations I had in my mind talking to God, begging to throw some light. What I ended up receiving was more and more chaos. Why many gay men are prone to high level of anxieties and depression episodes? This chaos could have probably caused that. When we were kids, our tender mind was subjected to multiple levels of internal battle, more than it could handle. And we didn't know how to reach out to our parents for help, because we doubted whether they would understand us or the worst case, they could stop loving us.

Studies suggest that in the absence of a reliable caring adult, such intense trauma could lead to disturbing the neurochemical balance in the brain, decreased brain growth, and negatively impacting the neuronal pathways. The after-effect of these developments are long term which means they will be carried throughout a kid’s adulthood resulting in low self esteem, depression, anxiety, social and attention problems, behavioural disabilities etc.

Such self-inflicted emotional abuse can be the most dangerous form of all abuses. It makes them weak within, not able to protect themselves, not able to stand up for themselves. This insecurity could in turn attract bullies and sexual predators seeing that they are an easy target, leaving them exposed to even more traumatic episodes. By the time, the kid attains adulthood, the mind is scarred beyond repair and the aforementioned after-effects keep haunting him. Add to that the social stigma, the pressure to lead a double life, the nagging of parents and relatives to get married - the world doesn't appear rosy at all for most of the homosexuals.

These vicious series of events can be prevented to a large extent by the people whom the child searches for when he feels scared or threatened. The parents.

At a time when parents are given the responsibility to give their children the first sex education (from the age of 3 onwards), it is utmost important that they discuss about sexuality and tell them to be gay friendly. The benefits of this approach can work out in two ways.

One. If the child indeed turns out to be gay, he wouldn't have to go through the endless circle of emotional trauma. He knows where to reach out to when faced with perplexity. Knowing that his parents doesn't love him any less can give him the strength from within, the ability to face the world without any underlying turbulence, and lends him the emotional health equal to that of his straight peers. Not to forget that only when one is sound emotionally can he invest in deep love and healthy relationships.

Two. If the child is straight, he has already got a clarity on gays from the people whom he considers as reliable source, leaving no room for misconceptions about homosexuality. The chances of him turning out to be homophobic would be minimal and would not face the mental block in accepting gays as equals.

Therefore, as you see, the solution lies within the home.

And now ponder upon how this solution is inherently present in the case of gay parents..

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka with their kids

Check out these related posts too!
My First March For Equality
Bangalore Gay Pride March Montage By Amar Mitra
The Great Indian Mainstreaming Of Homosexuality

I Want Mr. Gay India To Walk The Talk: Nolan Lewis

2013-09-12T19:00:00.000+05:30

Photography by Marc Drofmans

Life has taken a fabulous upswing for Nolan Lewis - Mr. Gay India 2013, after his return from this year's Mr. Gay World (MGW), which was held at Antwerp, Belgium in August. Even though Mr. Gay New Zealand, Christopher Colwage was adjudged as Mr. Gay World 2013, Nolan was among the Top Ten finalists. He was also one of the favourites for the international media since everyone was curious to hear from the Indian representative and understand the Indian LGBT landscape. As part of the pageant activities, Nolan created a picturesque collage of Indian LGBT icons featuring Ashok Row Kavi, Wendell Rodricks, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi and Shakuntala Devi, which is now on permanent display at Antwerp's LGBTI archive.

The MGW organization has also conferred him the title, 'Founder - Mr. Gay World India' to kick start the annual Mr. Gay India pageant from next year. In an exclusive interview for CSB readers, Nolan shares his MGW experience, his vision for the upcoming Mr. Gay India pageant, and how his world has changed for the better post MGW 2013.

Nolan Lewis was featured in the popular CSB Xclusive! series early this year. Click here to reach the post.

Photography by Andrea Fernandes

Crazy Sam (CS): Last time when we spoke, you were facing challenges financially and also searching for a designer. How did it all come together for you?

Nolan Lewis (NL): I believe in the saying that ‘when you make a wish, the universe conspires to make things come true.’ I remember how hard times were when we spoke last. I didn’t have the money to fund a ticket or the wardrobe for the pageant. I utilized the savings that I had, but also there were friends who contributed towards my airfare because they could see how noble my cause was.

Wendell Rodricks helped me put together my National Costume. He sent me a beautiful open-front lime green jacket from Goa a few days before I left for MGW13. You can’t believe how excited I was to see it!

CS: What was your feeling on the first day when you landed at Antwerp?

NL: The delegates from all across the world had already added each other on various social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, months before the pageant. Landing into Antwerp felt like a reunion of sorts, because we were just picking up conversations where we had left them online. We were like a bunch of school kids, hugging and screaming! It was really funny!

Image courtesy: Mr. Gay World

CS: How did everyone react when you told them that you represent India? Did you have to correct anyone on some misconceptions that the world has about our country?

NL: India has very interesting stories to tell, because we still are in the nascent stages of defining LGBT rights. Everyone admired my courage and the determination I displayed despite all the odds that stood against me. I was surprised because even the international media had been following my story and had so many interesting questions to ask mainly because most countries have a strong Indian community across the world, and they were eager to see India participate in a gay pageant!

The West still perceives India as an enchanted land with elephants and snake-charmers. I had to laugh and tell many people that it’s been a decade since I saw an elephant on the streets of Mumbai. Unfortunately, the alarming number of crimes towards women was also highlighted and that was one of the questions asked to me by the judges. I answered their questions to the best of my ability but it was not an easy spot to be in.

CS: Can you tell me something about the collage you made?

Click the above photograph to view the collage

NL: “Looking through Pink Glasses” was the arts challenge that every delegate at Mr. Gay World had to present. We had to make an exhibit of what homosexuality was like in our country. I created a sepia Bollywood poster that was distinctly Indian with all the LGBT icons such as Ashok Row Kavi, Wendell Rodricks, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi and Shakuntala Devi on it. It was a chronographic timeline on how the scene in India has changed over the centuries and it was very well received. All the exhibits are now on permanent display in Antwerp’s LGBTI archive. Please stop by if you ever visit the city.

CS: What were the thoughts going in your mind while you were standing there on the pageant platform?

NL: There was very little time to think because the actual pageant felt like a beautifully choreographed musical! You must YouTube Mr. Gay World 2013 to see more. We were either dancing to the Baywatch theme song for the swimsuit round or a Lady Gaga medley for the club wear round. When it announced that I made it to the Top Ten finalists, I breathed a sigh of relief! I knew I had set a new record for India. I can proudly say that I’ve changed LGBTI Indian history. I’m hoping that in a few years from now, India will be crowned Mr. Gay World.

Image courtesy: Mr. Gay World

CS: You have been assigned as the MGW representative to choose the next Mr. Gay India. How does it feel to shoulder this responsibility? What will you be doing different this time?

NL: Believe it or not, Mr. Gay World receives hundreds of applications from India every year! Isn’t it only fair that we organize an annual pageant and that the winner goes to the World pageant via a national competition?

Mr. Gay India sounds like a prospect that is daunting and exciting both at the same time. What motivates me is the idea of creating a positive role model for young gay men in India. We didn’t have positive gay role models to look up to in our times, we do now.

I’m busy brainstorming means on how we can organize Mr. Gay India as an annual pageant here. Apart from sponsorship and finances, that also means crossing several legal and social hurdles. I get panic attacks just thinking about the same. Luckily, Mr. Gay World is an amazing mentor and there are several international LGBT activists as guides to help me through.

CS: What are the qualities that you look for from the next Mr. Gay India? What do you think we should improve upon to win the MGW title?

NL: Mr. Gay India needs to be a Perfect Ten. Beautiful inside-out. There needs to be an added emphasis on being aware of LGBTI issues around the world and having an opinion on the same. There’s no point in appointing a winner unless he delivers. At the end of each year, I’ll be asking the winner, “What did you do for LGBTI India? Show me tangible results.” Talking the talk is one thing; I want Mr. Gay India to walk the talk. I struggled so much with arranging my finances and wardrobe for the pageant, that I didn’t focus as much on my fitness and preparation as much as I’d liked. I like Mr. Gay India 2014 to have all of that taken care of, so that he can focus on presenting himself at the world pageant.

Image courtesy: Mr. Gay World

CS: Any funny incident from MGW that still makes you laugh?

NL: Oh my god! I’m glad you asked! As the photos suggest, I wore my hair long at the pageant. There was this time where the delegates were waiting backstage to inaugurate the opening of the OutGames, the international LGBT community’s response to the Olympics. I was looking quite flustered because it had been a long day. David Montes, Mr. Gay Mexico was standing behind me and started combing my hair with his fingers just so that I would calm down. Little did we know that we had video cameras recording us and playing simultaneously on the big-screen on the stage! I saw the audience laughing hysterically and pointing at me. It was so embarrassing. I wished the earth would open up and swallow me alive!

Image courtesy: Mr. Gay World

CS: So how has your world changed post MGW?

NL: I think MGW13 was my coming of age. MGW has changed my life in so many ways. As of today, I am Mr. Gay India 2013, but I am also ‘Founder - Mr. Gay World India.’ The amount of international recognition and appreciation I have received has been overwhelming. Magazines and TV channels all the way from Amsterdam to Australia were interested in what LGBT India has to say, and I’m honoured to be one of the spokespersons for the same.

I work as tarot reader and a crystal healer. I couldn’t help but notice a difference in the rise of number of my LGBT clientele after the pageant.

B&O Amazing Cruises has appointed me as their Indian Brand Ambassador. B&O Amazing Cruises offers cruises custom-made to meet the needs of the gay and lesbian traveler LGBT travel is still a fairly new concept in India. You can log on to www.amazingcruises.eu for more details on how you can create a memorable cruise experience as a gay traveler.

Also, without divulging too many details, I’ll be starring in a film with an acclaimed international filmmaker soon. Look out for me in a cinema near you sometime next year!

Photography by Andrea Fernandes

CS: Thank you Nolan for your time. I’m glad to know that MGW13 has opened up a lot of opportunities for you. Anything you wish to add before we wrap up?

NL: I’m here chatting with you, Sam, and I’m at a zenith. Even though I contested a gay pageant, there was no social or political backlash as we had earlier feared. In fact, my life has only changed for the better. My advice to the LGBT youth of today is to come out and embrace your identity. Closets are so 1988!

Several studies estimate that we have approximately 3 million LGBT individuals in India. If we stand together and speak as a community, archaic laws such as section 377 would only be an unpleasant memory. Trust me, our children are going to be laughing at the idea that we even had laws that stigmatizes homosexuality. It’s ridiculous!

Image courtesy: Mr. Gay World

Check out these related posts too!
CSB Xclusive! Nolan Lewis - Mr. Gay India 2013
CSB In Conversation With Dan Skinner
CSB In Conversation With Ronald N. Tan

CSB In Conversation With Dan Skinner

2013-08-04T16:30:00.004+05:30

Long time CSB followers must be familiar with Dan Skinner, his exquisite works of photography have been showcased here before. He has been a photographer for the last 15 years where his work is featured in various book covers and magazines such as DNA and Beautiful Mag to name a few. Through his works, Dan aims to show gay romance in the same light and venue as straight romance had been for years; with equal beauty and sensitivity and sensuality.

Dan has also now ventured into writing. His first novel ‘Coverboy’ was released for Dreamspinner Press in 2008. Now after a gap of 5 years, he has come out with his latest romantic fiction titled ‘Memorizing You.’ From the woods of Maryland Heights in Missouri, Dan shares his thoughts with CSB readers about his experience of writing 'Memorizing You', what he wishes to bring to the readers through this novel, his experience of being a gay man and his upcoming projects.

Crazy Sam (CS): ‘Memorizing You’ is being released after a gap of 5 years since your last novel. How did the ideation start?

Dan Skinner (DS): There was a large gap between novels because I became inundated with photography work. I had actually begun the plot work for ‘Memorizing You’ right after ‘Coverboy’, but got sidelined by the shoots. It was worthwhile though. Many of them ended up being featured by magazines like Blake and Horizon, DNA and Beautiful Mag. I actually got back to putting words down for ‘Memorizing You’ about a year ago because I had a few more gaps of time to myself and the story actually began invading my dreams. That was a sign to me that it had to get done.

CS: How was the experience in writing this book?

DS: The experience actually was quite life altering. One of my characters who love to run had that trait because I used to love to run. It helped me relieve stress and think, and I hadn't done it in years. Well, in writing it, I developed that urge to get out and run again, and now I'm addicted. I get up every morning at three-thirty and hit the streets before the sun comes up. On the psychological side, it brought back a lot of my real reasons of why I got into photography - the mission I had to show that homosexual love was just as beautiful and romantic as heterosexual love. I was just using words to convey the message this time.

With ‘Memorizing You’, I wrote with the perspective of talking to a mainstream audience. This is a love story, like all love stories told before it.. but with two men. I want anyone who has read any of these other romances to be able to read this one and be touched in their hearts, minds and souls in the exact manner as all the other love stories. I want them to walk away feeling that love is the greatest thing, the most life-altering thing, and the most memorable thing of being alive. I want people who are gay, who reads it to know that love chooses us... not the other way around.

CS: Could you share a brief synopsis of the novel?

DS: ‘Memorizing You’ is a coming of age tale that unfolds against the colourful, stylish, and turbulent backdrop of free love, revolution, and The Beatles.

Two high school boys from different walks of life - Ryan, a handsome athlete, and David, an average joe from a blue collar family, discover their desires, stealing their kisses under the cover of an old oak at night. Their love begins a secret life, hidden from their families, friends, and classmates. As their passion grows, so does the danger of their discovery. Their only hope is to create a separate world where every kiss is a treasure and every moment... memorable.

First love. Secret love. Unforgettable love.

CS: For whom do you recommend this novel to?

DS: This is a book for everyone. I wrote it so all age groups could enjoy it. It is truly an old-fashioned, heart-rending tale of first love and romance; of self-discovery and awareness of one's sexual identity. I recommend that people buy it to read to their lover or partner at bedtime. Or someone who wants to relive that first moment that they knew they were spellbound by the magic of love. Or those who want to know what it will feel like when it does happen. That's the type of book it is. It makes you believe that, no matter what, we are all destined to love.. and it will change everything in us when it happens.

CS: And how has been the initial feedback?

DS: The feedback has been wonderful. I've got a lot of five star reviews and many personal letters from folks who loved that it was truly an old fashioned romance.

CS: Currently is it available only on Kindle? Any plans to publish it?

DS: I haven't got that far in my thinking. It depends on sales. I don't think there's a lot of demand for actual hold-in-your-hand books today. I see everybody reading on their electronic devices. And truthfully, that may save a lot of trees. LOL!

CS: So how did you start photography and writing?

DS: I've been doing photography forever it seems. Can't remember the number of years but well over twenty. Did fitness photography, then covers for mainstream "straight" romance novels before turning to M/M romance photography in 2008. My first novel, ‘Coverboy’ was released in 2008. I wrote long before that, but nothing of this type of length.

CS: Being 48, could you let us know the changes you have witnessed over the decades in terms of life for a homosexual man?

DS: I've seen a lot of changes over the years in social acceptance of homosexuality. When I was a teenager it was still a curse word, still hidden. But we all still existed, found each other and had our places to get together. They were pretty hidden, holes in the wall type places. Year by year, as the media made it more visible with shows like Will & Grace, and more gay characters in films, I've seen the culture become more tolerant. I don't think we are there yet. I still hear people using the word “gay" as a derogatory term, but we're getting better. Now with marriage equality making strides forward, I have a lot more hope that one day a married gay couple will be as mundane as a married straight couple.

CS: And what projects are keeping you busy these days?

DS: Lots of photography projects in the works. The next month I have three already scheduled. I also have already completed two other novels which will be proofed and then go into editing. One is an erotic novel entitled, ‘The Bible Boys’, and the other is another romantic fiction ala a combination of a gay Lolita and Death In Venice entitled, ‘Vicarious’. All the books are quite different in nature because I like to explore different aspects of my own psyche.

You can buy ‘Memorizing You’ from Amazon (Kindle Edition) by clicking here.

The photographs showcased in this post are independent creations of Dan Skinner and are not part of ‘Memorizing You.’ You can click on them to see their unedited high resolution versions.

To see more of Dan's work, visit his gallery.

Check out these related posts too!

CSB In Conversation With Ronald N. Tan

CSB Promotion: Dan Skinner's Photography

CSB Xclusive! Nav Sihag

2013-06-09T18:00:00.000+05:30

Nav Sihag may not have walked the ramps or graced the glossy pages of fashion magazines; but going by his online fan following, the absence of those factors do not seem to get in the way of his immense popularity. Scores of men and women just adore the photos that he puts on his Facebook and Tumblr blog, even attracting the attention of many fashion photographers.

When asked about how all this makes him feel, Nav says, “I feel glad to know that my hard work has paid off. Even though I wanted to become a fitness model, I didn’t have anyone to guide me. I had to promote myself because I had no idea where to go or what to do.” In fact, Nav was also not fortunate to hire a professional photographer for his shoots. He and his friend shoot photographs using a Nikon D40, which he reveals are taken without any makeup or stylist.

Nav Sihag is a certified personal trainer and has also done wrestling for a brief period. Now 23, he started working out during his teen years. “Due to my family's sports background, I used to do exercise and jogging, but I started doing them professionally only 2 years ago.” Currently on a goal of putting on more muscles to qualify for fitness model, Nav is undergoing rigorous training under the eyes of the two times Mr. Haryana title winner, Ravinder Kumar.

His training routine extends up to two – three hours a day, which is split between morning and evening sessions. He also supplements the work out with a balanced diet comprising of carbohydrates, protein, fibre and fats. During his free time, Nav loves to swim and hangout with his close friends. He is a great admirer of the Italian actress and fashion model, Monica Bellucci. "I have watched her movie - Malèna. I find her very sensual and erotic, but in a very artistic way."

Nav is aware that gay men makes up major chunk of his long list of fan followers. So as a straight man, how does he feel when gay guys compliment on his looks and physique? “It feels good, but sometimes they overpraise.” He has few gay guys as friends and he is of the opinion that gay community deserves to be treated equally. “A lot of people think that gays are not natural. But I believe there is nothing unnatural about them and they also form a part of our society. If I get any opportunity to do something for the LGBT family, I will do it for sure!”

Click on the above pics to see their high resolution unedited versions.
Nav Sihag interacts with his fans and showcases his photos at his Tumblr blog.

Check out these related posts too!
CSB Xclusive! Nolan Lewis - Mr. Gay India 2013
CSB Xclusive! Rajeev Govinda Pillai
CSB Xclusive! Sahil Anand Arora

CSB Promotion - Chennai Rainbow Film Festival 2013

2013-06-02T12:48:00.002+05:30

Chennai Rainbow Film Festival 2013 Poster

It is inspiriting to see that like gay parades, we are beginning to witness the trend of each city hosting their version of queer film fests. This year, Bangalore hosted theirs in February, Mumbai in May and now Chennai will be buzzing with the Chennai Rainbow Film Festival 2013 from June 7th till June 9th at Alliance Francaise of Madras, Nungambakkam.

Vikrant Prasanna, Founder of Chennai Dost

The film festival is organized by Chennai Dost - a major support group for Gay, Bisexual men and women in Chennai along with Alliance Francaise of Madras. “We came up with this initiative to provide a venue for screening the works of established and emerging film makers who portray our community in a positive and affirmative light,” says Vikrant Prasanna, Founder of Chennai Dost. “Many of these films may not otherwise see distribution in area theatres.”

Apart from film screenings, the festival will see LGBT themed Photo/Art Exhibition, panel discussion, cultural performance and award ceremonies.

The Chennai Rainbow Film Festival aims to counter issues of invisibility and misinformation by providing a forum for discussing the films in a social and political context. On June 8th, a panel discussion has been planned to discuss about the media portrayal of LGBT community which will see panellists from film, theatre, television and literature fields. On the same day, the organizers will be honouring the media, film and art fraternity with ‘Rainbow Ambassador’ awards. The eminent Director, Film Maker and Cinematographer, Balu Mahendra will be presenting the awards to personalities who have supported and contributed in bringing out the issues and challenges faced by the Indian LGBT community.

Apsara Reddy, Senior Editor of Deccan Chronicle (right) launches

the logo of Chennai Rainbow Film Festival 2013 on April 14th

This year more than 100 entries were received and close to 30 films and documentaries have been shortlisted for screening. On the final day, awards will be presented to the best short films/documentaries in Tamil, India and International categories.

Narthagi, a Tamil feature film showcasing the journey of an adolescent boy who transforms into a transgender and the trauma he goes through in the process of discovering himself, has been chosen as the closing film of the festival. Explaining the rationale behind the selection, Prasanna says, “Narthagi is the first feature length film in Tamil on issues faced by transgenders and it was released in 2011 after several barriers. We wish to pay our respect for the effort put by the team of Narthagi in bringing the movie onto the silver screen and also encourage more such films to be produced in Tamil.”

A still from 'Narthagi'

The Chennai Rainbow Film Festival also marks CSB’s very first official partnership with an LGBT event. For complete schedule of the festival click here. Entry is free and open for all.

Check out these related posts too!

CSB Promotion - KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2013

CSB Promotion: Queer Ink Offer For CSB Readers!
CSB Promotion: Dan Skinner's Photography

CSB Promotion - KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2013

2013-05-22T03:37:00.000+05:30

KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2013 Poster

It’s been only 4 years since Sridhar Rangayan, the director of LGBT themed films – ‘The Pink Mirror’ and ‘Yours Emotionally’, has started organizing KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. But it has already transformed into an important annual event in Mumbai’s cultural calendar. Not just Mumbaikars, the festival receives audience from other cities as well. People like Manas Modi, a Bangalore resident, will be traveling to Mumbai this week to attend the festival. “I will be reaching Mumbai on Friday evening so that I can at least catch the films screened on Saturday and Sunday.”

This sort of euphoria is heartening to see since it signifies the willingness of the people to invest time and effort for LGBT events in India, and also the fact that such events are earning as much visibility and importance as any other mainstream event. Sridhar reveals that a sizable population of straight folks also attend the festival. “Last year, almost 32 percent of the attendees were non-LGBT, comprising of students, film buffs and academicians.“ And there is a valid factor which is making this possible. Sridhar explains, “KASHISH is the first and only LGBT film festival in India to be held in a mainstream theatre and one of the first queer festivals to receive clearance from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. This is enabling us to reach out to large number of audience.”

Sridhar Rangayan, Festival Director of KASHISH Film Festival

For this year’s edition, the organizers have received a whooping 300 submissions; out of which, 132 films from 40 countries are selected for screening. They were also pleasantly surprised to see submissions coming from conservative countries such as Iran, Pakistan, Serbia and Israel. Each year KASHISH honours one country to appreciate and acknowledge efforts made by other countries producing qualitative queer cinema. This year, the focus will be on China where LGBT movies from China will be featured in the ‘Country Focus’ package. Sridhar opines, “Mainstream cinema from China has already made its mark, but a small group of filmmakers are making films on queer themes. These films are often made underground and with great ingenuity. Our efforts at KASHISH this year is to showcase these films and the brave filmmakers.”

Movies from China will be featured in the ‘Country Focus’ package

Since its debut in 2010, KASHISH has become one of the biggest LGBT film festivals in India and South Asia, helping people to open their minds by challenging their beliefs and notions. Sridhar Rangayan understands that as each edition comes by, the benchmark for bringing awareness and entertainment keeps getting higher. “KASHISH is no more just a film festival, but an annual cultural experience, and we hope to live up to it!”

KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is scheduled to be held on May 22-26, 2013 at Cinemax Versova in Andheri West and at Alliance Francaise de Bombay, Theosophy Hall, 40 New Marine Lines - Churchgate from May 23-25, 2013.

For complete schedule of the festival, click here.

To check out the ten not to be missed films of KASHISH 2013, click here.
For information on the films featured in 'Country Focus', click here

For complete list on insightful discussions and conversations apart from the film screenings, click here.

Check out these related posts too!

CSB Promotion: Queer Ink Offer For CSB Readers!
CSB Promotion: Dan Skinner's Photography
CSB Promotion: Onir's Abhimanyu

Homosexuality in 'Bombay Talkies' - 2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Backward

2013-05-07T21:28:00.003+05:30

Karan Johar’s segment in ‘Bombay Talkies’ - Ajeeb Dastaan Hain Yeh, seemed to offer promising image overhaul on gays, trying to steer away from the conventional portrayal widely embraced by the storytellers of Bollywood. For once, the gay character is not flamboyant, limp-wristed or feminine. Rather, he is a confident young man, not ashamed of his sexuality. The opening scene shows him barging to the bedroom where his father (who had banished him from the house for being gay) is sleeping and pulling him out of the bed and screaming at him, “Main chhakaa nahi hoon! Main homosexual hoon! Naa chhakka hona galat hai, na homosexual!” (I am not an eunuch! I am a homosexual! Neither it is wrong to be an eunuch, nor to be a homosexual!) And later when he reveals himself to his female colleague that he is gay, she doesn't appear shocked - the reason being, “Gay ho, terrorist nahi.” (You are gay, not a terrorist.) The segment also features a lip-lock between two men, which is considered as a daring and progressive attempt.

A still from Bombay Talkies - Ajeeb Dastaan Hain Yeh

It is for these illustrations the gay community and the Bollywood critics are applauding Karan for sensitively handling the angle of homosexuality. But if you analyze carefully, the story has far-reaching dangerous repercussions because it plays with the idea of trust. When it shows that the gay guy is having no boundaries by hitting on his female colleague’s husband, it sends out the message that one needs to be careful when befriending gays. And sadly, it tries to seed homophobia among the one group whom gay men have always felt comfortable opening up to – the women; it warns them gay men could be potential boyfriend/husband stealers and home-wreckers, so better stay away from them.

A still from Bombay Talkies - Ajeeb Dastaan Hain Yeh

Bollywood has used homosexuality in innumerable ways – to add laughter, to induce shock value, to bring tragedy. But rarely has anyone attempted to empathize with them. What is this need to depend on showcasing us as a group who is defective or deviant in one form or the other? This is a group which is suffering not because they are defective, not because they are unnatural, not because they are abnormal; but only because the society is prejudiced due to the various misconceptions surrounding them - movies being a great vehicle for propagating such delusions.

If a certain religion or community or caste is shown in a bad light in our movies, the respective groups are quick to demand the director to remove the disgracing dialogues or scenes. But in this case, the gay community themselves get divided in their opinions because some just see the “outer picture”; few care to analyze the long-run implications. The movie is a cleverly camouflaged attempt to seed homophobia. When I posted about Dostana years ago on the gross characterization of homosexuality, there were many who tried to make me see why it was the best thing that has happened for Indian gays. Funny, now I see many views on how Karan Johar has redeemed himself, while admitting Dostana indeed had badly depicted gays and how this was a wonderful change from him. Majority of the Bollywood outings, such as this one, brings out the slant that one is not entitled to lead a happy satisfied and committed life if he is gay, unlike how straights receive a happy ending for their love stories.

A still from Bombay Talkies - Ajeeb Dastaan Hain Yeh

One can argue that Bollywood is in an experimental phase where straight relationships are also used for bringing out the various unconventional themes, so why not on homosexuality? Again, one needs to understand we are talking about a minority group who is struggling to find acceptance and at the receiving end of severe homophobia. Even Bollywood played safe while narrating love stories of heroes and heroines, where lip-locks were replaced by birds and flowers. It had invested sufficient period in exploring the plethoric emotions of love before plunging into the more sexually visible forms. We have Mughal-E-Azam, Devdas, Aradhna, Kagaz Ke Phool and so many countless movies immortalizing love, but what do we have for depicting homosexual relations apart from the scenes of sex and lust?

A still from Bombay Talkies - Ajeeb Dastaan Hain Yeh

Karan Johar’s story is two steps forward in terms of how mainstream actors are now daring enough to take up homosexual roles and how censor board didn't feel the need to chop out the gay kiss, but it is a step backward in terms of bringing positive representation for a highly marginalized community.

For the uninitiated: 'Bombay Talkies' is a 2013 Indian anthology film consisting of four short films, directed by Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar and Karan Johar. The film was released on May 3, 2013, coinciding with and celebrating the centenary year of Indian cinema.

Check out these related posts too!
If Slumdog Millionaire Was Unfair To Mumbai
Dostana
Taare Zameen Par

My First March For Equality

2013-04-12T16:29:00.001+05:30

Photography by: Praful Baweja

“I was feeling flustered seeing the large number of gay men and women around me as I realized I belong to the minority here. Then it struck me! This must be what gay people go through each day and it seriously takes strength to face that and carry on. That realization washed away whatever awkwardness I was feeling and gave me the assurance to march for equality.” These are the words of Ankit, 23, one among the many straight folks who participated in this year’s Queer Azaadi Mumbai gay pride march which was held on Feb 2nd.

Photography by: Gaylaxy Magazine

More than 2500 turned up for the pride march which also included considerable percentage of straight people to show their solidarity for their LGBT friends / relatives and to support the cause of equality. Mansi, a straight supporter opined we should celebrate our lives for being born as humans and there should be no divide amongst us. Many such sentiments were shared before the commencement of the procession. There was a mother who came for her gay son, a sister for her lesbian sister, but the most touching one was of the two sisters who were there to show support for their lesbian mother.

Photography by: Gaylaxy Magazine

Queer Azaadi Mumbai (QAM) is an umbrella of 20 key non-governmental LGBT support groups and organizations, institutionalized in 2008 to conduct the annual gay parade in Mumbai asking for equal rights of LGBTIQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Intersexed Queer) individuals. The first QAM parade in 2008 demanded reading down of IPC 377 that criminalized homosexuality and saw a turnout of about 500, a pleasant far cry from 15 during India’s first gay pride march (called the ‘Friendship March’) when held at Kolkata in 1999. However this year’s edition ran into a bit of chaos when the Mumbai traffic police denied permission. But thanks to the persistent efforts of QAM organizers, the police reconsidered their decision and the necessary permissions were in place just 5 days before the designated day. The organizers revealed that a horde of 35 permissions were required to carry on an event of this massive scale.

Photography by: Praful Baweja

Even though India embarked upon a post IPC 377 era with the landmark judgement by Delhi High Court decriminalizing homosexuality in July 2009, LGBT community is still at the receiving end of severe homophobia and is being subjected to various social stigmas. Even when World Health Organization declassified homosexuality as a mental illness in May 1990, many still view gay men and women as a ‘diseased’ lot. Parents look out to ‘cure’ their homosexual sons and daughters so that they can be fit into the customary societal norms of getting them married and bringing forth offsprings. There have been many instances of forced marriages of gay individuals which have ultimately resulted in divorces or even worse, led them to depression and suicides. Many sections of media and mainstream cinema still project homosexuality in bad taste with stereotypes and violate the private lives of an already marginalised community. Gay people are still being bullied and discriminated at educational institutes and work places.

Photography by: Praful Baweja

To highlight these plights, gay parades are now being organized at various cities as well as to force the public to take notice that homosexuality and transsexuality are very much existent in India. Perhaps one of the positive transitions that have come about is that people no longer feel the need to wear masks indicating a stronger self acceptance and confidence of who they are. This was my very first gay parade and even I didn’t feel like hiding my face though there were scores of shutterbugs capturing the colourful visuals of the carnival.

Photography by: Niyas Khader

The procession saw sarcastic, thought provoking and funny banners and slogans. “1.. 2.. 3.. 4.. Homophobia out the door! 5.. 6.. 7.. 8.. Don’t assume your child is straight!” - a group of ladies shouted. The dhol nagada gave a spirited and vigorous ambiance of festivity. People danced and shouted slogans while the procession limped forward as curious onlookers watched from the pavements and nearby buildings. I felt a sense of blissfulness for being part of a movement, of a cause that I deeply believe in. Those 65 minutes of walk were in fact life changing moments for me. It was the first time I didn’t care what other people thought about me, I didn’t care if I was seen by a colleague or a friend, I didn’t care if I got clicked by the media. I even posted on my Facebook that I was walking the gay pride march so that my colleagues and friends could see.

Photography by: Niyas Khader

It is one thing to read or watch the pride parades, but it is an altogether different experience when you participate in one.. exhilarating to say the least!

Photography by: Praful Baweja

Thanks Praful Baweja, Niyas Khader and Gaylaxy Magazine for helping me with your photographs.

Check out these related posts too!
Bangalore Gay Pride March Montage By Amar Mitra
The Great Indian Mainstreaming Of Homosexuality
Indians Being Homophobic And More

CSB Xclusive! Nolan Lewis - Mr. Gay India 2013

2013-03-27T17:42:00.003+05:30

Photography by: Blake Woodhams

Introducing to you all this year’s Mr. Gay India, Nolan Lewis! Nolan would be the third Indian to represent our country at Mr. Gay World (MGW), ever since the pageant took off in 2009. Scheduled to take place from August 1st – August 5th, MGW 2013 will be held at Antwerp, Belgium.

Nolan was born and brought up in Mumbai and has been a model since his college days. However realizing that modelling could not be a stable career option, he was on the search for other avenues that offered a regular income. He says now he is a self-employed man and is loving what he is doing currently. “I’m a tarot card reader and a crystal healer. Occasionally, I also write astrological columns for newspapers.” Even then, he decided to give modelling another go and has now signed a contract with a model agency. He has also done a video shoot for the popular Indian girl band - Viva’s music video, ‘Jahan Ho Pyar Ka Mausam’, along with Zoltan Parag, the first Indian to participate in Mr. Gay World pageant.

For this 28 year old guy, Mr. Gay World was not something that he had planned out. Nolan was in Johannesburg in April last year, completing a photo-shoot for South African documentary photographer, Blake Woodhams. Coincidentally, Johannesburg was hosting Mr. Gay World 2012 that very evening. “We watched the pageant, grabbed a few drinks and made a joke about how we should forward my photographs to MGW for 2013’s registrations.” And then that’s what he did. A few weeks later Nolan received a registration form and a questionnaire in his inbox. “Since India does not have a local sponsor, MGW had their director in the Philippines, Ms. Noemi Alberto, conducted my auditions via Skype. A few video-conferences later, I was chosen as Mr. Gay India 2013 over six other Indian guys.”

The fact that India does not have a MGW representative is proving to be quite a challenge for Nolan to participate in the pageant. “I don’t have anyone sponsoring my airfare or wardrobe. That’s the basic entitlement of any contestant representing a country at an international level.” Nolan is currently on the lookout to find some corporate endorsements and a fashion designer volunteering to showcase his or her work at MGW 2013.

Photography by: Blake Woodhams

Nolan hopes to change this situation for the future MGW Indian contestants. “I will have a chat with MGW about hiring me as the recruiting agent for the next delegate from India, since there’s no one as of now.” So would he be kicking off a Mr. Gay India pageant from next year onwards? “I can only comment about the possibility of a full blown pageant, once I’m back from MGW. But you are going to have someone representing India each year from now for sure!”

All the best Nolan for MGW and also for the initiative that you are planning to bring for the future MGW aspirers!

You can reach Nolan and support him by clicking here.

Photography by: Blake Woodhams

Come to think of it, a Mr. Gay India pageant is not a bad idea after all. India has seen a remarkable progress ever since the Delhi High Court decriminalized homosexuality in 2009. The post 377 era has afforded a favourable pitch for a host of LGBT entities - from a gay travel boutique, a gay event management firm, a fashion store to a queer book store, an LGBT discount card and an annual international LGBT film festival; India has seen it all! A gay pageant would be a perfect piece for this melange aiding ourselves to be visible more conspicuously.

Check out these related posts too!
CSB Xclusive! Rajeev Govinda Pillai
CSB Xclusive! Sahil Anand Arora
CSB Xclusive! An Interview With Ronald N. Tan

CSB Promotion: Queer Ink Offer For CSB Readers!

2013-03-16T15:21:00.002+05:30

Queer Ink (http://queer-ink.com) is an online book store providing access to hundreds of books on gays, lesbians, hijras and transsexuals. Founded by Shobhna Kumar and her partner in 2010, this portal has become the one stop site for anyone seeking LGBTIQ literature.

In an interview for CSB Anniversary magazine, Shobhna had said, “We believe that there are vibrant communities of sexually and gender diverse people who successfully negotiate their lives in the mainstream. These stories need to be told and heard to dispel ignorance and therefore hatred and discrimination.”

Queer Ink has now more than 500 titles in the English and Indian regional languages covering fiction and non-fiction with genres - drama, folklore, historical fiction, humour, mystery, poetry, auto/biographies and collection of short stories, mythology, etc. The E-books section has free downloads of magazines, reports and journals with LGBTI India content. Shobhna reveals that they also receive enquiries for gay erotica. “Yes, we can obtain it for you but we cannot list it on the website because of the IT Act 2000 which restricts online sales of such material.”

CSB readers can now get 40% discount for the purchase of imported books, above spend of Rs.300.

Just the enter the coupon code: CrazySam40 while you are making the purchase.

This offer is valid until March 31, 2013.

Happy shopping and happy reading!!

Model: Julián Escamilla

Check out these related posts too!
CSB Promotion: Dan Skinner's Photography
CSB Promotion: Onir's Abhimanyu

5 Years Of Awesomeness!

2012-09-23T02:27:00.003+05:30

Yes, this time the deal is for real. This is not another mock-up CSB cover, but an actual CSB magazine which you can flip through! I have always wanted to try out how CSB would look like in a magazine format. The idea has been haunting me for more than a year, but then time and circumstances didn’t seem to be apt for such an exhaustive project... until now. When I began this endeavour, I knew this would be a time consuming affair, but I didn’t expect it to become this mammothian task. But now I’m glad to see that it is finally done and here it is for your reading pleasure!

As I always say, my blog is my baby and it brings out the best of creativity in me. Over this past five years, with the continued support of thousands of readers and subscribers, CSB has evolved into much more than a mere personal blog. It became the voice of many who wanted to resist the continued stereotyping and misconception regarding gay men. It became a platform where distressed guys reached out to realize that they are not alone and found connect with its articles and readers. It became a destination where straight community could visit and understand what actually goes through someone they know who is gay. It has also become a credible source of unbiased information - I was pleasantly shocked to see Wikipedia articles giving reference to CSB while stating facts of personalities for the reason that they have directly interacted with CSB.

I hope you guys enjoy flipping through and reading this Anniversary special edition of CSB e-magazine, as much as I enjoyed making it. Special thanks to Ronald N Tan for sharing his exquisite works, Shobhna Kumar and Billy Graham for taking time out to interact with me, Danny Rose and Harrish Iyer for penning their encouraging thoughts on CSB. I also wish to express my gratitude to my blog buddies Jits, Derric and Phunk for always considering CSB as an important part in their lives.

And how can I forget CSB readers?!! You are the real reason which pushes me and drives me to express my thoughts, and I really do hope you will continue showering your support. Happy reading, I would love to hear your feedback!! ;-)

Check out these related posts too!
The Return Of Craziness
CSB Turns 2!
CSB Now Straight-Friendlier Than Ever!

Watch This Epic Gay Marriage Proposal!

2012-07-21T16:10:00.000+05:30

When Danny Rose decided to propose to his boyfriend Aaron to take their relationship to the next level, he wanted the experience to be something that reflected their three years of togetherness. He wrote a song and made a music video with hints of moments that they had shared while seeing each other. Aaron had no clue of what was about to happen when Danny escorted him to their backyard for presenting the proposal video. Needless to say, Aaron was completely shocked. After the video, Danny got down on one knee and asked Aaron to spend his life with him.

The video went viral soon after Danny uploaded it on YouTube. Titled ‘What Are We Waiting For’, this one is a catchy dance-pop track with ‘Glee’-style choreography which will get you hooked and make you watch it in repeat mode. I myself have lost count of how many times I have watched it again and again ever since Danny shared the link with me a few days ago.

Email subscribers will have to visit the blog site to watch the video.

Danny thinks it’s important for people to see the faces of gay marriage. To support the cause of marriage equality, he has put the song up for sale on iTunes and is donating 100 percent of the profits to marriage equality charities.

In an interview with CSB, Danny Rose who is the producer for television shows for ABC Studios, shares his experience on the making of 'What Are We Waiting For', how he met the love of his life, the wedding plans and the much yearning visit to India.

Crazy Sam: How did the idea of this video come about?

Danny Rose: The idea came about last November. I knew I was going to ask him to marry me, but I wanted something that was very "us". Our lives are centered around family, friends, music and comedy. I also always wanted to try and write a song. So I put the two together and gave it a whirl. Jamie Jackson helped me with the music. She is a work colleague and I always thought she was so talented.

CS: How did you meet your boyfriend and how long have you been dating each other?

DR: Aaron and I have known each other for over 4 years but have been together for three. We were introduced through common friends at a bar and neither of us made a move until over a year later. We would see each other out sometimes and eventually became Facebook friends. Then one day we both happened to be traveling to NYC and ended up hanging out together on a non date one night there. Well it evidently was a date and we've been together since.

CS: What was Aaron's reaction when he saw the video?

DR: SHOCKED. He had no idea what was happening. I had the video set up in the backyard on a large screen and a whole sound system. I had about 300 scented candles burning. My goal was to attack all the senses. I made him put on a tuxedo and we had champagne while I escorted him to the backyard. He saw the screen and thought I made a home video slideshow of our life together. Then as the video started, he said, umm thats you! Then he said NO WAY! Did you write this? I can't believe you did this!! Once he grasped what was going on, he wanted to start it over but I said we would just watch it over again. And again. And again. I got down on one knee when it was over, asked him to make the happiest man in the world and spend his life with me.

CS: When is the wedding happening?

DR: We are 3 months away.. October 20th in Los Angeles. It's not exactly legal yet in CA, but it's not stopping us spiritually and culturally.

"Let's head on down the -- WHAT??" - A still from the music video

CS: Heard this video went viral, how did you feel?

DR: I was excited. The feedback was so positive and gay marriage is such a hot button everywhere, I was pleased this video brought joy to so many people both gay and straight. I get the most comments and accolades from moms with kids. I get videos of kids dancing to the song all the time. Makes me very happy.

CS: Any plans to come up with new songs?

DR: I am not in the music business. I work in the television industry. I produce television shows for ABC studios and the last years have been spent on the shows called SCRUBS and COUGAR TOWN. (I am also developing more shows and some of them have big musical elements. So stay tuned on my twitter: @DannyRoseinLA.) But I have been giving thought to doing another song. The process was so much fun and so creative, and the collaboration really was magical. So I am anxious to try another. Even if it's just for me.

CS: I read that there are lot of inside jokes shown in the vid, could you reveal some of them?

DR: Some are not inside jokes; some are lines that are triggers.. "I like the way you look at me" I would always say that to him. The eyes can't lie. I see love in his eyes when he looks at me. That is where I started with the song. One of the jokes was "Let's head on down the --" I didn't say aisle. I said WHAT?? It's so strange growing up gay, and to be honest, never thinking that the words wedding, fiancé, husband, etc etc would ever be part of my life. There are a few more in there too. One Justin Bieber lyric that was popular at a time we started getting serious.

CS: I'm sure there is a history behind your robot moves shown in the vid.

DR: Yes there is a history of breaking out the robot moves that always made us laugh. So I had to put that in the video knowing it would get a big reaction from him.

CS: So have you been to India? Any plans to visit the country?

DR: Neither of us have been to India. It's high on our list! I have always wanted to visit and have heard it's the most gorgeous place. Hopefully in the next few years before we get into the children planning.

And finally here is a photo of the lucky couple, Danny with his soul-mate Aaron. Thanks Danny for sharing!

Check out these related posts too!
When Music Wins You Over
The Crazy Sam Musical

Ask Sam: I Need Help

2012-03-18T15:16:00.002+05:30

Dear Sam,

I am 19 years old. I am out to only a few of my friends. You probably get dozens of emails with the same problem everyday. But I would still request you to help me out. I dunno, when I came out to my friends I thought things would get better. But they haven't. I still feel all alone. I want to meet more people like me. I don't want just friends, but a boyfriend :P

But I can't possibly do that until I come out completely, can I?

So I have this weird feeling of being stuck all the time. I have college exams coming up soon. But I can't study. I can't afford to screw up my grades. What will a talentless gay nerd with lousy grades accomplish in life!

So how about you writing an initiation guide for all 19 year olds who are stuck and are all alone?

Please do reply as soon as possible. I really do need to talk to someone. I would love it if I could have a reply as soon as I send it. But that's too much to hope for isn't it?

Yours scared and terrified,
Moviebuff

Dear Moviebuff,

I have been through the same situation as yours, so I can understand what you are going through. We all want to be in love, to be with that special someone. I hope your friends were supportive when you came out to them. But you don't have to be out and open to find your guy. You will still be able to find your guy without letting anyone know. You can find similar-interested guys at gay dating sites or even on Facebook.

But right now, what you must give priority should be your studies. Searching for love is best when you are settled down, financially independent and when you have a nice job. Trust me, I wasted lot of my time during your age looking for love. In the end, I got lesser grades than my classmates and they have gotten through big MNCs and are enjoying big pay cheques. My life got derailed in the meanwhile, tried so hard to make everything ok, but was only partly successful. If I could turn back the time, I would have spent all those times in studying and not for finding a boyfriend.

Love is a gift. You don't necessarily have to search for it. It just happens. The more you try to chase it, the farther it goes. But it doesn't mean you just hope that love would knock at your doorstep without doing anything. You have to keep your options open to meet and socialize with guys. But now is not the right time for all that. Probably you can explore meeting guys after your exams.

Now just think that whatever time you invest in studying, you will be rewarded in terms of grades, and then a job and a boyfriend at a later stage.

All the best!

Check out these related posts too!
Ask Sam: Confused About Sexuality
Ask Sam: Entangled With A Married Guy
Ask Sam: Closeted But Acting Homophobic

CSB Xclusive! Rajeev Govinda Pillai

2011-12-10T17:17:00.006+05:30

When an Indian makes it to walk at the London Tommy Hilfiger ramp, consider that it is no mean feat. But that’s what Kerala-born 29 year old Rajeev Govinda Pillai did. It is no surprise then that he has walked all major Indian fashion weeks including Lakme, Wills, Couture et al.

When I came across Rajeev’s pictures, it immediately clicked that he is a perfect fit for the CSB Xclusive! series. And Rajeev was more than happy to be the next CSB Xclusive! guy. During our interaction, when he revealed that he is now doing movies and two of his films were out this year with two more releases out to be soon, my jaw dropped! Ever since I shifted to Mumbai, I have not been keeping track of Malayalam movies, hence was not aware of the new faces. No wonder he has got an impressive count of fan followers from Kerala.

Before modelling, Rajeev was practicing dentistry at a clinic in Cochin and it was one of his patients who suggested him to pursue modelling. But Rajeev didn’t want to limit himself to Kerala and he decided to leave for Mumbai to try his luck.

He got his initial break from fashion designer, Chaitanya Rao. After that there was no stopping for him. He takes proud to have been part of all the major fashion weeks and I see no reason why he shouldn’t be. The photographs shared by him evidently testify that he has got the right attitude and physique to make it big in the industry.

Unlike other models, Rajeev doesn’t have a personal trainer. Working out was always a part of his life and he keeps himself updated on fashion and grooming by watching fashions shows from the west and reading lifestyle magazines.

Rajeev is passionate about cricket and has played till minor counties in England during his post graduation days. He is now undergoing vigorous practice session for his stint in Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) scheduled to start from January 2012 in Sharjah.

Having left an impressive mark in the modelling world, Rajeev is optimistic about becoming a sought after film star. However, he is also aware of the reality that nothing is permanent in the showbiz field. So when all the glitter settles down, he plans to go back to his dentist clinic which is now run by one of his friends.

Thank you Rajeev for taking time out for CSB and for sharing these amazing photographs. Wishing you many more successful movies and hope you will be the next South Indian actor to make transition to Bollywood.

Check out these related posts too!
CSB Xclusive! Sahil Anand Arora
CSB Xclusive! An Interview With Ronald N. Tan
CSB Xclusive! The Indian Hunk Piyush Walia

Bangalore Gay Pride March Montage By Amar Mitra

2011-12-05T23:20:00.012+05:30

Last week Bangalore celebrated their annual gay pride march and 25 year old Amar Mitra, a freelance cinematographer, was one among the many who turned up to show their support and participate in the walk. But then he ended up doing much more than that; his assemblage of photographs that captured the ebullient spirit of the march is now garnering wide appreciation.

Amar (in the photo), who has a bachelor’s degree in Multimedia with a film production minor, was instantly inspired by the regalia of colours at the parade.

“Being there, I realized everyone had their own unique story. There was so much to say, so much to be heard. I decided to capture the uniqueness of each person, costume, vantage point. I wanted my pictures to feel personal. Set against the pride itself, I wanted to make each fabulous person stand out. And that’s what I tried to do.”

The way each shot brings out exuberance is just amazing!

“I shot on a canon 550D through a 50mm prime and a 55-250 telephoto,” Amar explains. “Mostly telephoto to stay far enough to capture the true essence, but go close and get personal.”

Below is a video-montage from the Bangalore gay pride march - shot, edited, compiled, graded and coloured by Amar.

Email subscribers will have to visit the blog site to watch the video.

Amar is now planning to pursue MS in Digital Cinema or MFA in cinematography. So would he be interested in capturing Mumbai Pride Week scheduled in January?

“Sure! I would love to, if someone wants to sponsor my stay. I have never been to Mumbai, so I should wait and see what happens.”

The photographs and video featured in this post are used with permission from Amar Mitra.

Check out these related posts too!
The Great Indian Mainstreaming Of Homosexuality
Indians Being Homophobic And More
'Yuva' Dares To Break Open The Closet

Ask Sam: Confused About Sexuality

2011-11-20T03:09:00.008+05:30

Image copyrighted by Gay Times | Photographed by Joe Oppedisano

Hey Sam!

I stumbled onto your blog through a link on the Saathi-IIT B Facebook page. Haven't been through a lot of articles yet but it looks pretty good.

Actually the thing is, I am just so confused about my sexuality. I'm 19 and I had my sexual encounter with a guy when I was 14 or 15. It was just about sex, no feelings or anything. We didn't even make out, just down to business! It happened so many times that I can't count. The moment we were alone in the room, I was practically ready to pounce on him. The funny thing is, at that time I didn't even know what it meant. I know its hard to believe, but I actually started getting to know about sex and stuff in high school.

I also sort of had my first crush in grade 11. It was on this guy the first day of class. I specifically remember it because I knew it was just something different. Throughout class I was trying to sneak a peak at him. It kinda washed out the same day after I went to talk to him. I've never truly liked anyone I guess. I can only remember three instances which I can say were quite strong crushes, all guys.

Needless to say, I am pretty sure I am into guys. The tricky thing happened when after a lot of denial, I finally decided to confront it and come out to a few close friends. Fortunately they were completely cool with it, and these are straight guys I'm talking about. My sister, after an initial shock and denial came around to the idea. Although she's asked me not to take a firm decision just yet and keep all my 'options' open!

I don't exactly fit the stereotype, which is why when I told people, they continuously kept telling me that its not true and just something I've gotten into my head. When I told my sis about that incidence when I was 14, she said you were probably just too horny. How do you know for sure, you've never actually been with a girl. Might be that you're bi.

I don't know if its their rambling or the fact that ever since I confronted it I've been analyzing my feelings a lot that I too believe that I've been too quick in deciding. I just wanna sleep with a girl and find out. The problem is, I am not so good with girls and being in an engineering college sure doesn't help my chances there! How will I ever know for sure?

- Confused IITian

Dear Confused IITian, it is clear from your mail that you have strong attraction towards men, which is perfectly fine. And I applaud your courage for coming out to your sister and straight friends. One thing you must realize is, you don’t have to fit into the stereotypes if you are gay. There are many who are macho in their appearance and behaviour, yet gay.

Ask these couple of questions to yourself:

When you see an endowed woman, do your eyes fixate to her breasts? Do you try to get a peek into her cleavage?
When you watch straight porn, whose private parts turn you on?
When you masturbate, try fantasizing about a woman. What would you want to do with her? Is it helping to release your load?

I know for the fact that I’m 100 percent gay. For all the above situations, a girl is a strict no for me. I live with a bunch of straight guys and I feel really uncomfortable whenever they get too graphical about a girl they have seen. But I know it’s a guy thing and I would have imagined all that if I see an attractive man.

You are just 19. A life filled with rich and varied experience is waiting for you, let it unfold naturally. Do what that makes you feel good and of course, which does not inconvenience others. And if you try to sleep with a girl just to find out whether you will like the experience, most probably it will result in disappointment because your mind will be too preoccupied in analyzing whether you are enjoying each and every act.

Check out these related posts too!

Ask Sam: Entangled With A Married Guy
Ask Sam: Closeted But Acting Homophobic
Ask Sam: Gay Or Not

The Great Indian Mainstreaming Of Homosexuality

2011-04-23T12:22:00.007+05:30

Often I have expressed my anger and frustration about how media was being insensitive when dealing with topics surrounding homosexuality and how we were always misrepresented. However, over the past few months, I see that there has been a drastic change on what’s been written about us. Thanks to the High Court rule decriminalizing gay sex, it seems that the media has now got a new-found courage to not to stick to the usual perceptions and instead, they are now trying to bring out the real stories behind the rainbow. And the best part is they are doing this with no qualms which in a sense I feel as if they are shouting, screaming and discussing the topic like never before to compensate all these years of misrepresentation.

In the month of February this year, for the Sunday magazine of Hindustan Times newspaper – Brunch, the publication ran a cover story titled ‘One Man’s Story’, about the famous stand-up comedian, Vidur Kapur. The article very vividly narrated the troubled childhood and confusion Vidhur had to go through and he couldn’t find any solace from his family either. With every passing day, his self-esteemed dipped making him slip into depression which provoked him to take his life. Even though he didn’t succeed in the attempt, his sufferings didn’t end with this. Soon he had to come out to his family and instead of getting support, he was subjected to even more humiliation – the psychologist they took him to even did chromosome tests on him, to check whether he was a normal male! The doctors, his family and his friends – no one understood him and he shut himself off from the outside world. This moving account then talks about how Vidhur finally made peace with his sexuality, how he tore down all the walls he had built around him, how he found his love and in the end what led to his parents welcome their “son in law”!

To download and read the PDF of the article, click here.

The struggles that Vidhur faced, is experienced by many of us. When I was under depression because of failing to understand why I’m feeling something which was unusual, my parents were not aware. Like many of us, the path of accepting my sexuality was frustrating and tiring, to say the least. And this is why ‘coming out’ is such a big event for us, because it marks the end of a long struggle. This facet of us perhaps was never openly talked about in the mainstream media, until now. And this could be the beginning of the change in their attitudes – sensitizing and enlightening the readers through personal accounts of people like us.

When Delhi High Court decriminalized homosexuality in 2009, certain political and religious groups challenged the verdict and brought the matter in front of the Supreme Court. However, a touching development took place following this. 19 parents of LGBT children from across the country (along with a group of 16 academics and teachers, and a group of 14 mental health professionals) came forward and submitted their petition to counter this homophobic move. The group of parents is led by Mrs. Minna Saran, the mother of late Nishit Saran.

Nishit was an aspiring film maker and in 1999, he filmed his coming out to his mother. Mrs. Saran accepted her son for who he was. Sadly, Nishit died in a tragic road accident three years later.

In February, The Indian Express daily carried a full-fledged cover story in their Sunday supplement, Express Eye about these parents who dared to openly support their children. The article’s headline screamed, ‘My Son Is Gay, And I’m Proud Of Him’. A very moving piece, it talks about how they felt when their children came out to them and what they thought of the hogwash propagated by their (our) opposition.

You can read the online version of the Express Eye article by clicking here and to watch Nishit's moving documentary of his coming out, "Summer In My Veins", click here to reach the post where I had shared the video long ago.

Last Sunday, NDTV aired the show 'We The People' devoted to the parents’ petition. This is another bold move to bring out the issue to the forefront which showed the parents and the children sharing their experiences and thoughts. During the program it was highlighted how it was clearly breaking the long associated stereotype of gay males being effeminate. It also focused on another important aspect of how the schools should sensitize the issue of sexuality and the care and approach a counselor should take on while counseling a child who seeks help regarding his or her sexuality.

Click on the play button below to watch the episode. If you're reading this post from an email you will have to access the site to view the video.

While the whole effort deserves a standing ovation, I just have one chafe - I feel highly disturbed when someone considers homosexuality as a ‘choice.’ Is heterosexuality a choice? For most of us this was never a choice, but a realization. I feel, equating it with choice is actually insulting our journey of acceptance of who we are.

Now I have to strongly emphasize and appreciate the efforts of a newspaper for having balls to come up with their initiative. These guys have actually gone ahead one step further than the rest and are truly mainstreaming homosexuality.

Check out the snapshot of clippings below.

For the past two months, DNA newspaper (that’s acronym for Daily News Analysis and not the Australian gay lifestyle magazine) has been dedicating an entire page in their Sunday edition for LGBT issues. This section called 'Out Of The Closet', features diverse stories and realities of what it feels to be part of a minority that is ridiculed and shunned. DNA journalists are talking to various people in the community and bringing out their voice to the much larger audience. This specific page also features guest articles from the well known LGBT personalities in India and provides an update on LGBT news from around the world! Seriously, what more can we ask for! When we were growing up, we had no source of information to reach out to. Hell! We didn’t even know there was a category of population termed homosexuals! (and bisexuals and transsexuals – to be politically correct). And now that this topic is been discussed and debated openly, the path of acceptance of one’s sexuality would hopefully be a much shorter walk for the new generation.

For the sake of convenience for CSB readers, I have collated the 'Out Of The Closet' pages appeared till now and combined them into a PDF. To download and read, click here.

India is also witnessing a trend where entrepreneurs are identifying and realizing the potential of a section of the market which had remained untapped. Now a string of services have sprung up to address the growing demand from the LGBT community. We now have a travel boutique that specifically caters to gays - Indjapink, an exclusive gay event management firm - Salvation Star, a fashion store for gay men - D’Kloset, a retail store that sells practically everything LGBT related from t-shirts and accessories to mugs - Azaad Bazaar, a dedicated web portal to shop for queer books, DVDs and CDs - Queer Ink, an annual International LGBT Film Festival - Kashish, a gay lifestyle magazine - Fun and the latest, a discount card specifically for the LGBT crowd (claiming to be Asia's first) that is going to be launched on April 27. The tabloid Sunday Mid Day carried an article, 'It's A Pink Deal' (again a cover story) in January on the boom of Pink commerce in India (especially in Mumbai), which was written as a precursor for the Mumbai Pride Week.

To download the PDF of this article, click here.

The Supreme Court of India is expected to deliver the final judgment on legalization and decriminalization of gay sex sometime after July. There are many who have been fighting tirelessly to bring about the changes that we are witnessing now. Hope we will be able to sustain this momentum and good sense prevails for the world's largest democracy to succeed in ushering equality to its citizens. We have a long way to go in bringing anti-discrimination laws at public and work places, legalizing gay marriages and in laying down inheritance laws and adoption rights. But nevertheless, this is a good start!

The very first picture used for this article is a still from Onir's latest feature film, 'I Am' slated to release on coming Friday. 'I Am' is a fusion of four stories, in which one deals with sexual discrimination and how police uses Article 377 to harass and blackmail gay men. You can view the theatrical trailer of 'I Am' by clicking here.

Check out these related posts too!
Indians Being Homophobic And More
'Yuva' Dares To Break Open The Closet
The New Face Of Indian Homophobia
An Equal Love

Hello?

2011-04-19T12:51:00.007+05:30

I was browsing through the book section the other day. With no intention to buy, I was reading the blurbs of the many Indian fictions that were displayed on the racks. I was also hoping that it would be nice if I stumble upon a book that had a gay character as the protagonist.

After a couple of brief blurb-reading, a title hinting of a homosexual subtext caught my eye. It read 'You Are Not Alone'. Curiosity gripped as I flipped the book over and read the back to see what it was about – ‘Sanjay Sanghavi is a single urban homosexual counting the last minutes of his life...’ Waaow, can’t believe I have actually hit the jackpot!

At the last Queer-Ink’s book fair in Mumbai, I did bump into a number of gay fictions, but the sheer amount of titles was so overwhelming that it was becoming a task to choose one over the other. And here in Cochin, discovering one from a bunch where I least expected gave me a sense of accomplishment.

I flipped through the pages, tried to read paragraphs from here and there. I wanted to make sure it was something I could relate to. When I found myself checking how the ending would be, I shut the book and decided to buy.

Now my two cents on this while keeping it as vague as possible:

Sanjay’s story is not an extraordinary one, but it has moments which we long for. If we look at ourselves, we all could relate to what he went through – the usual, the unusual, the good and the bad. And this is exactly the beauty and strength of Arun Mirchandani’s debut novel. It doesn’t take you to unbelievable fantasy trips and yet keeps one hooked till the end. Being a light read, You Are Not Alone could be a solace to those who are trying to come in terms with their sexuality - if not an answer, at least a hope.

(Click on the cover to read the blurb. Courtesy: Frogbooks.net)

Check out these related posts too!
The Look-Alike
A Rendezvous That Offered A Mix Of Everything
Coulda Shoulda Woulds Prada

CSB Xclusive! Sahil Anand Arora

2010-10-10T01:10:00.010+05:30

For most of us, when we bump into a fashion spread of a sexy guy, we get curious to know more about him. And then there are some bunch like 'yours truly' who get into a search mode on who clicked the snap. While being entranced by the sight of the gorgeous hunk and the creativity of the photographer, it doesn't come to us to think about those 'artists' who the make the models camera-ready, giving them a flawless look. CSB Xclusive! presents to you one such unsung hero.

Sahil Anand Arora does make up and hair styling for models for their fashion shoots. He also train modelling and self-grooming. When I first saw his pictures, I got totally smitten by his looks. This guy is the perfect blend of being uber cute and handsome (not to forget his gorgeous bod). So I approached him, asked whether he would be interested in being featured on CSB. And Ooh la la! Here he is!!

24 year old Sahil was born and brought up in Calcutta, India in a Punjabi family. He shifted to Delhi seven years ago for studies and was working as a freelancer for the past two years. He then realized Mumbai could offer much more in terms of contacts and opportunities and that pushed him to relocate to the Bollywood-city.

It's been only 5 months since he did that and things are already shaping up well for him. Here he met the illustrious fashion photographer, Sayan Sur Roy. Sayan saw that Sahil had the potential to be a model. Surprisingly Sahil happens to be camera-shy and it was Sayan who made him comfortable to pose for snaps.

And as you can see from the photos splashed across this post, Sayan was indeed right!

Sahil, thanks a lot for sharing these pics. Hope we can see you pretty soon on those ramps and billboards. So here's wishing you all the very best. Go for it and give us many more shots that will leave us spell-bound!

Photographs #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #9 (from the top) shot by Noor Khan & Photograph #8 by Sayan Sur Roy. Click them for their complete and higher resolution versions.

Check out these related posts too!
CSB Xclusive! An Interview With Ronald N. Tan
CSB Xclusive! The Indian Hunk Piyush Walia