Indian Gay DVDs

Monday, March 26, 2007

Murphy's Movie Reviews

The Indian film industry is just beginning to play catch up when it
comes to dealing with controversial issues. Last year, I saw
MY BROTHER NIKHIL, one of the first features to tackle AIDS.
Director Sridhar Rangayan created a stir with his short film about
drag queens GULABI AAINA (THE PINK MIRROR) in 2003. He has
now tackled homosexuality head on in his debut feature film,
YOURS, EMOTIONALLY!

The plot centers on a pair of chums from Leicester, England,
Paul (Jack Lamport) and Ravi (Premjit) who visit a small town in
India on the invitation of Ravi's Internet pal Jeh (Ashwin Shelar).
Arriving in Shimoga, the English lads attend a gay party where
Ravi meets Mani (Prateek Gandhi) and instantly falls in love.
Of course, complications ensue. Ravi and Paul decide to remain
in India for a few extra days and end up staying at a hotel run by
an older gay couple, Murthy (Ikhlaq Khan) and Anna (Ajay Rohilla).
After Paul has a brief encounter with Mani in a park frequented by
men cruising one another, the two friends have a falling out.
Ravi is determined to convince Mani to accompany him back to
Great Britain, but Mani remains hesitant.

YOURS EMOTIONALLY! is essentially a film that focuses on
love in the context of cultural differences. As much as Ravi is of
Indian descent, he doesn't fully understand the conditions in the
country. The movie does show that in spite of all the odds, same sex
relationships are possible (as exemplified by Murthy and Anna) but
it also demonstrates the prejudice and fears that are still present.
Rangayan uses some surreal touches and includes several dream
sequences that add a touch of the exotic to the project.

The film, which had its World Premier at NewFest, proved to be
an audience pleaser. It was preceded by the short BEING BAD, directed
by Laurence Coriat.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Review on Amazon - A Queer Journey Through India

March 4, 2007

A Queer Journey Through India

Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride

Ravi and Paul are two best friends who go on vacation to India. They find themselves at an all night gay sex party which surprises them. They were not aware that India could be so open and that the natives could be so aggressive and they quickly find themselves in the midst of Indian gay culture. India has always been a place we have known little about in terms of homosexuality and it is surprising to see it here on film, uncensored and laid bare. This is an eye opening look into it as the movie goes deep into the subculture of a society that frowns upon gay life. Many of the things that we take for granted here in America pose a great challenge to the gay men of India. "Yours Emotionally" gives a clear and concise picture of gay Indian life with great emotion and honesty.

What the film does is "explore cultural differences and similarities" between an Asian from Britain and a guy from rural India. As it shows us the gay life, it does so vividly and with great passion. As the movie progresses it also crosses generations and we are shown the younger generation as well as what goes on in the lives of men in their fifties. It is interesting to see this as it is so missing in the canon of gay American cinema.

The cinematography is absolutely exquisite and it creates just the right mood for the film. The camera techniques use many of aspects of new wave cinema. The film is groundbreaking as it explores the naked truth of gay Indian life. What is lacking in the film is characterization. All we know about the characters is that they are "hot to trot". Everyone seemed to want to have sex with everyone else and the sex seemed to be added on for the purpose of titillate (not that it isn't fun to watch). We had no insight into the nature of relationships and the inter-relationships seem very shallow. Everyone is into everyone else without the slightest idea of why.

With that said, I must also say that the beauty of the movie so overshadows everything else that the above is minor; The editing is very interesting as people just seem to disappear. And the colors used give a surreal atmosphere to the film.

The fact that the plot is shallow is made up for by the fact that the men are hot and the film is beautiful to watch. Additionally you get a look at a gay subculture that we know very little about.