YE @ Pink Pages

Yours’ Emotionally

Ratnesh

Sridhar Rangayan’s flamboyant drama delves deep into the invisible Indian gay culture. The movie explores cultural identities and openly challenges the Indian gay stereotype. Based on the theme of struggling love, Yours Emotionally is vivid, honest and full of passion.

Read more at: http://pink-pages.co.in/new/culture/cinema/yours’-emotionally/#more-720

....

It is indeed appreciable that the movie has been shot so openly in a society that frowns on gay life. But the movie is disconsolate because of the prodigal use of characters. After watching the movie one may say that India is loaded with homosexuals and transgenders. Everyone is into everyone else without the slightest idea of why. That said, one must also admit that all these issues are overshadowed with the surreal beauty of the film. The bizarre colours, the excellent cinematography and of course the hot Indian characters make the movie a must watch.

Kashish - Mumbai International Queer Film Festival

KASHISH- Mumbai International Queer Film Festival being held between April 22^nd to April 25^th, 2010 in Mumbai promises to be four days of non-stop queer celebration across many platforms of artistic expressions.

Apart from over 80 Indian and International films, the festival has a range of allied activities - exhibitions, book launches, Q&A with filmmakers, panel discussions and of course parties! The festival expects to draw a huge audience from queer as well as non-queer community during its events spread across multiple venues in Mumbai.

Kashish - Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is being organized by Solaris Pictures and Bombay Dost.

About Solaris Pictures: Solaris Pictures is the only Indian film production company that has consistently been making films on queer themes. Its award-winning films like ‘Gulabi Aaina’, ‘Yours Emotionally’ and ‘68 Pages’, all dealing with gay and transgender stories, has pushed the boundaries in queer portrayals in Indian films. (www.solarispictures.com)

About Bombay Dost: Bombay Dost, India’s first registered LGBT magazine, is a standard bearer for the growing confidence and artistic alacrity displayed by India’s LGBT community. Bombay Dost also organizes free fortnightly film screenings known as ‘Sunday High’ as well as other events like book readings and community discussions. (www.bombaydost.co.in)

Kashish - Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is partly supported by UNDP, UNAIDS and Movies That Matter (an initiative of Amnesty International)

Kashish – Mumbai International Queer Film Festival 2010

Centre for Excellence & Research (CEFE)

Ground floor, Riviera, 15th Road,

Santacruz (W), Mumbai - 400 054, INDIA

email: kashishmqff@gmail.com

website: www.mumbaiqueerfest.com

blog: www.mqff2010.blogspot.com

twitter: www.twitter.com/kashish2010

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Kashish.MIQFF

Views on Another Subcontinent

Yours Emotionally
Another subcontinent forum
Jul 3 2006, 07:29 AM

I had the occassion to see Yours Emotionally, a gay-themed movie directed by Sridhar Rangayan at MIT this past Friday.

As I understood it from the Q&A with the director after the movie, such movies are rare in India. This one explored the 'gay-scene' in small town India [in Gujarat and in Karnataka (Shimoga)].The director has worked actively on LGBT issues and felt that he should make a movie to express the dilemmas faced by people with differing sexualities -- and so undertook this project. So far he has screened it in a very limited fashion in India before he came away to screen it in NY, SF and most recently in Boston. He is returning to India to further his efforts in promoting it.

Not really knowing what to expect, even whether the movie would be a ham-handed effort in tackling an obviously complex theme, I was pleasantly surprised by the narrative...and even by the acting. The people behind the movie have managed to use a fairly plausible and even engaging storyline to get their point across...

ananda
This post has been edited by ananda: Jul 3 2006, 06:46 PM
http://www.anothersubcontinent.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5346&view=getlastpost

verbose said...

I saw the movie recently in SF, where it was part of Frameline, the long-running gay and lesbian film festival that coincides with Pride. I didn't know what to expect either, particularly as the title struck me as being rather sappy. I found parts of the movie confusing, and couldn't quite follow the narrative comfortably because of the strange visual effects, abrupt switches from color to b/w and back, and jumpy editing. But I liked the movie nonetheless.

In the Q&A that followed the screening, Sridhar Rangayan was asked about the visual effects. He explained that he wanted the movie to take place in the protagonist's mindspace, and had chosen the visual effects appropriately. That made sense when he said it, but I'm not sure it worked cinematically. However, I'm not a very sophisticated viewer of cinema. No doubt someone who sees non-mainstream movies more regularly would have a different reaction.

I also had the opportunity to spend about an hour in a tete-a-tete with Sridhar (about a week before I saw the movie), and ran into him a couple of times after. He's a really nice, warm, and funny guy, and he's been doing some great work with the Hamsafar Trust. So I'm glad I liked the movie--I'd've felt bad if the movie had turned out to be a dud.

Not so sure about the acting; the gora in particular struck me as being somewhat unnatural. The older couple were terrific.

I bought a copy of Sridhar's earlier movie, Gulabi Aaina, off him. Haven't watched it yet, though. Apparently the movie has run into trouble with the censors in India. Sridhar was talking about it. He says he intends to fight a legal battle to fight the refusal of a censor certificate. The censor board says that the movie doesn't treat its theme of crossdressing "seriously." Sridhar says that what this means is that the crossdressers are shown enjoying themselves, which is unacceptable, apparently.

YE inspires 5th Tasveer ISAFF's queer focus !

Excerpt from Shahana Dattagupta's article Personal is Political : South Asian Lens on Vibrant Love

When asked about this year’s theme and its relevance, one of the festival’s directors Farah Nousheen said, “The theme actually started out with a queer film focus, a very important genre in independent South Asian film. Last year, we had screened the experimental queer feature film Yours Emotionally by Sridhar Rangayan from India. There were several people who were confused by it or didn't like it. For me, this was a sign that our audience is not familiar enough with this genre or subject matter to understand and discuss this complex film … Our solution was to make the queer film genre the ISAFF theme....

... Most of the films being presented in ISAFF this year revolve around the politics of struggling love: Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Queer (LGBTQ) issues, cross-cultural love, arranged marriage and work being done in the HIV positive / AIDS arena. Titles of the films selected include A Jihad for Love, Before the Rains, Every Good Marriage Begins with Tears, Donkey in Lahore, The World Unseen, 68 Pages, Kissing Cousins, Kagbeni, and Milind Soman Made Me Gay. But ISAFF is not simply about screening films. It is about creating a safe, yet courageous space for all types of people to come together to talk about the emergent South Asian lens on love, sex, racism, queerness, marriage … what incredibly rich and complex feelings shall be revealed through this process … ?

http://isaff-tasveer.blogspot.com/2008/08/personal-is-political-south-asian-lens.html

Viewers reactions

Postings on Another Subcontinent

 

I had the occassion to see Yours Emotionally, a gay-themed movie directed by Sridhar Rangayan at MIT this past Friday.

As I understood it from the Q&A with the director after the movie, such movies are rare in India. This one explored the 'gay-scene' in small town India [in Gujarat and in Karnataka (Shimoga)].The director has worked actively on LGBT issues and felt that he should make a movie to express the dilemmas faced by people with differing sexualities -- and so undertook this project. So far he has screened it in a very limited fashion in India before he came away to screen it in NY, SF and most recently in Boston. He is returning to India to further his efforts in promoting it.

Not really knowing what to expect, even whether the movie would be a ham-handed effort in tackling an obviously complex theme, I was pleasantly surprised by the narrative...and even by the acting. The people behind the movie have managed to use a fairly plausible and even engaging storyline to get their point across...

This post has been edited by ananda: Jul 3 2006, 06:46 PM

----------------------------------

 saw the movie recently in SF, where it was part of Frameline, the long-running gay and lesbian film festival that coincides with Pride. I didn't know what to expect either, particularly as the title struck me as being rather sappy. I found parts of the movie confusing, and couldn't quite follow the narrative comfortably because of the strange visual effects, abrupt switches from color to b/w and back, and jumpy editing. But I liked the movie nonetheless. 

In the Q&A that followed the screening, Sridhar Rangayan was asked about the visual effects. He explained that he wanted the movie to take place in the protagonist's mindspace, and had chosen the visual effects appropriately. That made sense when he said it, but I'm not sure it worked cinematically. However, I'm not a very sophisticated viewer of cinema. No doubt someone who sees non-mainstream movies more regularly would have a different reaction. 

I also had the opportunity to spend about an hour in a tete-a-tete with Sridhar (about a week before I saw the movie), and ran into him a couple of times after. He's a really nice, warm, and funny guy, and he's been doing some great work with the Hamsafar Trust. So I'm glad I liked the movie--I'd've felt bad if the movie had turned out to be a dud.

Not so sure about the acting; the gora in particular struck me as being somewhat unnatural. The older couple were terrific.

I bought a copy of Sridhar's earlier movie, Gulabi Aaina, off him. Haven't watched it yet, though. Apparently the movie has run into trouble with the censors in India. Sridhar was talking about it. He says he intends to fight a legal battle to fight the refusal of a censor certificate. The censor board says that the movie doesn't treat its theme of crossdressing "seriously." Sridhar says that what this means is that the crossdressers are shown enjoying themselves, which is unacceptable, apparently. 

Posted by  verbose on July 8, 2006 at 5.52 am

YE on Green Cine

Synopsis
Sridhar Rangayan's flamboyant Bollywood drama Yours Emotionally concerns Ravi, a homosexual Indian expatriate residing in England, who carts his friend Paul along with him to a gay party in an Indian village. Once there, Ravi finds himself beginning to fall love with Mani, another guest at the event, and decides to stay in the area a few days to pursue this courtship. But the persistent interference of Paul - who desires an intense sexual affair with Mani - threatens to undo everything. Ravi is counseled in his pursuit by Murthy and Anna, two gay male proprietors of the hotel where he's staying. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

YE on Green Cine : http://www.greencine.com/webCatalog?id=209865&element=yours+emotionally

YE on Netflix

Yours Emotionally!. When Ravi (Premjit) travels back to his native India on a vacation with his friend Paul (Jack Lamport), he falls in love with the handsome Mani (Prateek Gandhi). In the comfort of India's gay subculture, their romance blossoms, but societal pressures have pushed Mani deep into the closet, and the lovers find their relationship at a crossroads. Sridhar Rangayan directs this love story co-starring Ikhlaq Khan and Ajai Rohilla. Rent the movie, Yours Emotionally!.

Link to Netflix : http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Yours_Emotionally/70064307

Review by Nicholas Sheffo

Yours Emotionally (Water Bearer)
Review by Nicholas Sheffo at www.fulvuedrive-in.com

For all the wealth, modernism and outsourcing of business to India they have going on, the homophobia by society and law is outrageous and makes them seem like an old dictatorship. Writer/director Sirdhar Rangayan takes a look at this goofy situation in Yours Emotionally (2005), a film actually made and released in the U.K. since that is where Gay men from India go to see a better world of possibilities.

It is ironic that Gandhi had to die to get the Brits out of India, only for their gays to have to go there for more freedom, but that is what has happened.... Either way, India has already shown their homophobia and ignorance to Deepa Mehta for her Elements Trilogy (see Earth, Water and Fire separately on this site), so this will hopefully tick off the same idiots those films did.

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 is a first for Water Bearer, usually letterboxing their widescreen releases. This may not have increased the detail much for this taped production, but it does make color richer and there are monochromatic lighting choices here and there that are interesting. The Dolby Digital 2.0 is simple stereo at best and is noticeably location sound. Extras include the trailer and a making of documentary Yellow & Blue.

Comments and Feedback on YE site

May God bless those who have made this movie. - Name Withheld (India)

I liked the Film..and the stroryline. All in all it’s a great effort. - RM (San Francisco)

I was really impressed with your skills of film making. I thought the camera work and the colours used were so wonderful and at times intoxicating. I felt swept along by the sheer beauty of it all. It really captured India to me with all its diverse life styles and colours and I really felt how drab the old home town looked in comparison! It was daring, inventive, surprising, moving and exhilarating. - Russell

Please Bring such films forwards Specially with the topic that Gayism Exists in India from ancient times. so that hipocrits can understand and accept the fact. - Name Withheld (India)

I felt going through many emotional strands: I was touched, entertained, happy, confused, misplaced, and sincerely laughing about the vicissitudes of the characters and their lives and self-discoveries. it is the India that I know and you have captured her spirit. - Stephano

We think the film challenges many stereotypes both Indian Gay and British too. Some of the cinematography was very, very good with many of the dream type sequences innovative and captivating. It’s also very touching at the end... We enjoyed watching ‘Yours Emotionally!’ - Bryan & Brent (London)

Yours Emotionally is a hard hitting and dark representation of the present face of Indian homosexual community. It is commendable that Sridhar & Niranjan bring to fore a harsh face of the community that many of us may not be willing to accept. It is stylistic in narration with a mix of real and surreal scenes that are blend beautifully together. - - Vivek Anand, CEO Humsafar Trust (India)

The film has very well portrayed different gay identities and how they interact with each other. The fact that this film was shot in quite a few public place in Rajpipla with quite daring scenes goes to show that no eyebrows were raised during the shooting of the film. Homosexuality though considered as a social stigma in India, but in smaller towns gays don't feel shy in practicing it even after being forced into marriage to a girl. They will continue to lead a "double role" in their life. In quite a few marriages, the female partner knows that her husband is gay, but still she won't mind if her husband sleeps with another man, but will mind if he sleeps with another woman. This is has been found out in one of the studies undertaken by Lakshya specially in rural Gujarat. - Manvendra Singh, CEO Lakshya Trust (India)

it has so much passion and heart...and has some really sexy scenes with such an attractive cast. Sridhar: you're a very good director, getting great performances out of the actors, and putting the camera in very nice strategic positions. - Paul Lee (Toronto)

First I want to thank you for being a filmmaker and for having the passion to make films that address and deal with storylines/subject matter which are pertinent to an LGBT audience. - Name Withheld (USA)

its a gr8 concept u came up with... so glad somebody came up with the topic... I stay in FL, USA. am a student here. I\'d like 2 know how i could get 2 see the film... - Name Withheld

I would like to know how I can see this film in Bangalore - Praveen (Bangalore)

The story line and locales are great feels great when people outside india worry about indian gay issues. more are expected from the QueerNRI s - shoemakerlevi (hamburg)

Film is good and i appreciate the Director and its efforts and hope they will keep it up.... - SURAJ (CHANDIGARH)

Film is good and i appreciate the Director's efforts, hope they will keep it up.... - SURAJ (CHANDIGARH)

good - sri (kum)

how can we see the film in hyd . - aravind (hyd , india)

can we see more of the india gay and films - armaan (ajmer)

It's about time someone took this step. Let the Indian audience wake up to the truth... Bravo! Definitely one giant leap for India cinema. There will be plenty of opposition, doubtless, but this film must be out. Here's to a poineering movie. May it come out as eye-opener... - Prasanna

i never seen this movie.....but i think so this good movie evergoing to be for gays i think so.i love this movie.i want to see soon this movie. - niki (hongkong)

Can you arrange for the indian audience to see the picture?? i think this will revolutionize the way people think about peoples willingness to experiment with some thing new. - Jeet (Indian)

Nice to see movies like this keep comming up... Its a definite gud move to bring the darkness to light.. Hope movie is kewl and attract audiance and ideas... - Ashwin (CHennai)

I am very unlucky as I did not have a chance to act in your movie. Anyway great work to express about gay emotions and hardship we undergo in our strict cultural settings. - Jey (Canada)

I have a post up on my blog with my take of the film (http://queerindia.blogspot.com/2006/01/yours-emotionally-ii-my-take.html). It's also cross-posted on Desicritics.org at http://desicritics.org/2006/01/30/010510.php. - Nitin Karani (Mumbai (Bombay))

think its a good movie...lemme wait and see - abhishek joshi (bangalore)

nice - ram (trivandrum)

i like the story,its a nice thought & i want to see this movie. - mickey desai (gujarat)

I cvould not watch the trailer, but read the background literature provided on this website. I am very keen to watch this movie but do not know how! Can you please help. I would like to compliment the members of the moview crew who made such an important issue visible. Congratulations! - Ashish (Roorkee)

A very interesting film and great photography !! - Rich (USA)

hope to see the film .can any one tell me where the screening will be done - addi (orissa)

Wow!!! I can't wait to see the film but I already love the story and the trailer... Please PleasePlease let me know where I can find a DVD of this film ? - anita (NJ,USA)

Cool! Where can I see it? - Shakti (Auckland)

Cool :) Where can I see it? - Shakti (New Zealand)

Gr8 work again guys like always, cant wait to see this one. - haresh bharwani (Brighton UK)

could v do with less sex please... the concepts were wonderful, actors like premjit, anna were wonderful, but in the end i just came home and shagged...im sure thats not all that you wanted from the movie shridhar! hope u dont mind my frank critics... im from the same feild dear and could relate to your views and vision in ur capacity as the director... I hope u take this critisism in your stride... hopw u dont hold this against me... - rajiv (mumbai)

Hey that was a really cool film... ya a bit bold, but it was all so sensitively handled. I loved the elderly couple's love and bitching... so much like any other relationships. Keep up the good work folks and hope to see more interesting films from such pioneers :-) Salute' - Pranay

Wondering where I may purchase a DVD of this movie? - Dr. Shah (Boston)

i saw it @ nyc premier, LOVED the film, when is it coming out on DVD? i just chk'd NetFlex, they dont have u listing :(( - s.a.o (nyc)

i am very emotional in friendship i like friendship - ram kumar (india)

What a film! - x (Mumbai)

Hey just heard the film is screening at British Council, Mumbai on Nov 1. That's gr8. Can't wait to see it. Also wonder how conservative Indian audiences will react. - Nirmal (Mumbai)

I'm teaching a new course called "Asian Homosexualities in Film and Literature" at the University of Massachusetts Amherst next semester. I would very much like to see this film to determine if it might be good for my students. Can you help me? - Stephen Miller (South Deerfield, MA)

i like the film . also i like the characters in this film .the movie was so,nice. - sandip (kolkata)

this film shows different views of diffeerent people in this 21st century for certain part of our society. i appriciate the director for the film. - Monty (Gujrarat india)

i just watched trailer. its cool. thanks for featuring us. is there any chance it to be screened in india - sumith (kerala)

its nice to read about this film, but i dont have any idea how i can see this movie. - Ketan (Mumbai)

Comments on Yours Emotionally by Manavendra Gohil

Comments on Yours Emotionally by Manavendra Gohil, the first out gay prince, in whose palace the film was shot -

The location of the film shown as Shimoga is a rural town in India. The story revolves round a British Asian Gay, Ravi visiting this town and falling in love with one of its residents, Mani. The story also has a middle aged gay couple which interferes in this relationship. We assume that Shimoga being a small place the mentality of the townfolk is such that they are ignorant about gay relations. But, actually it is not so.

The film is actually shot in a place called Rajpipla in Gujarat which is a very happening place as regards homosexuality is considered and it also happens to be the headquarters of Gujarat State's first Gay Organisation (i.e. Lakshya Trust). The fact that this film was shot in quite a few public place with quite daring scenes goes to show that no eyebrows were raised during the shooting of the film.

Homosexuality though considered as a social stigma in India, but in smaller towns gays don't feel shy in practicing it even after being forced into marriage to a girl. They will continue to lead a "double role" in their life. Mani knows that he ultimately has to marry a girl but does not feel sorry about it. His other gay friends have also undergone the same process. In quite a few marriages, the female partner knows that her husband is gay, but still she won't mind if her husband sleeps with another man, but will mind if he sleeps with another woman. This has been found out in one of the studies undertaken by Lakshya specially in rural Gujarat.

But this kind of behaviour is found to be strange, especially for a person like Ravi. The film shows the local people of Shimoga talking about the gay couple, Murthi and Anna. They perhaps know about their relationship, but will not openly discuss it. The film has very well portrayed different gay identities and how they interact with each other. However, the racial discrimination shown in the dialogue between Ravi and Paul could have been avoided.

Yours Emotionally pulls no punches

All over the world DVD
Published 07/05/2007
by David Alexander Nahmod

If you want to stretch your Pride party into the summer, these DVDs might be a good start.

Yours, Emotionally (Water Bearer Films, 2005)

Sirdhar Rangayan's charming, daring film from India offers a fascinating look inside that country's emerging gay culture. Yours, Emotionally pulls no punches. It's the tale of gay best buds Ravi and Paul (single-named Premjit and Jack Lamport) traveling across the exotic land of the Taj Mahal. The film does not shy away from soft-core depictions of man-on-man sexuality. Because of this, it has yet to receive approval from India's rigid censor board. Fortunately for us, such restrictions do not exist in the USA.

Ravi, a second-generation Sikh, and Paul, an Englishman, live in London, where both are out and proud. In Ravi's ancestral homeland, they find a gay community far more open than they expected, as well as a community still held at bay by the country's antiquated views on sexuality.

Soon after their arrival, Ravi meets and falls in love with handsome, shy Mani (Prateek Ghandi). Their love is at first sight and mutual. But Mani is committed to an arranged marriage from which he cannot back out. Their love is doomed.

Paul, meanwhile, is a horny dude who discovers that same-sex encounters are easy to find in India. As Ravi's heart breaks, Paul is having the time of his life.

The pair spend some time at a B&B run by Murthy and Anna (Ikhlaq Khan, Ajay Rohilla), a middle-aged gay couple. As they get to know each other, all four men have life-altering epiphanies. The "boys" learn the true meaning of love from their older counterparts, who in turn learn the meaning of gay pride from the young ones. Lifelong friendships are formed.

Yours, Emotionally is beautifully shot, hypnotic in its use of light, shadow, and color to convey moods. Ravi and Paul come to India on a sexual journey, but their vacation becomes a spiritual awakening.

Water Bearer Films offer Yours Emotionally letterboxed. The film's trailer and cast/director interviews are included.

YE on New York Times

DVD sale sites

An intoxicating queer journey through India”

Two best friends, Ravi and Paul, go on vacation to India where they attend an all night, eye-opening gay sex party. Surprised by the openness of their hosts and the aggressiveness of the guests, the boys fall into the steadily growing Indian gay culture. Ravi is especially bitten hard as he falls for the good looking but deeply closeted Mani. Will caste, economics and customs allow these two love birds a happy ending or will the forces of tradition and homophobia keep them apart?

Fueled by flirting, erotic performances and open sex, “Yours Emotionally” is a revealing film about the growing Indian gay community. The camera lingers over the hot bodies of Indian men and never shirks from giving gay men a sexuality seldom seen from this part of the world. Sridhar Rangayan uses both traditional and experimental film techniques to build a story of love, compassion and truth in a society that is only now beginning to accept gay people for who they are.

Unrated/United Kingdom/2005/86 mins./color

DVD Special Features:
Theatrical Trailer
“Yellow and Blue” a making for documentary

Some of the online sites from where you could order DVDs of the film:
Amazon

TLA Videos

Amazon Canada

CD Universe

Facets Multimedia

Movies Unlimited

Trailer of the film

Trailer on Waterbearer Films site:

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.

Trailer on YouTube

Check out trailers on YouTube

Yours Emotionally!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKyT57nXx2U





The Pink Mirror (Gulabi Aaina)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEWPwrAjgpY

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.

Screening and Fundraising in Los Angeles

YOURS EMOTIONALLY! SCREENING and FUNDRAISING EVENT

DIVA, Satrang and API-Equality LA cordially invites you for a Special Screening and Fundraising event for our friends at Satrang.

YOURS EMOTIONALLY! An unusual drama of love and spicy passion and a tribute to gay men who negotiate their same-sex love identities amidst social, religious and cultural boundaries.

Q&A to follow after the screening.WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24, 20078 to 10 pm RENBERG THEATER Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center- The VillageTickets: $10RSVP: 323.860.7311

The Telegraph - Kolkata

Jack Lamport's Column in The Telegraph, Kolkata

(pls click on image to read an enlarged version)

Stardust, India

YE British Counil screening News - Hindustan Times

Hindustan Times, Mumbai

(please click on image to see full-size view)

British Council screening report and press

The British Council screening event went off fabulously. The film was screened to a jam-packed house (around 180). People were sitting on the steps of the auditorium. And more people kept coming even afterwards who were turned away by British Council organizers (more than 50 people + TV crews were turned away!)

Noted media personalities like Sai Paranjpye, Dolly Thakore, Mona Ambegoankar, Bakul Thacker and many others were there to view the film and join the team for wine and snacks.

The film was well received and appreciated unanimously. Followed by an intensive discussion.
Many complimented the cast and crew for being courageous to work on such a bold subject. There were some apprehensions about the overload of sex and erotica. The director maintained that sex was very much part of sexuality for gay men and cannot be overlooked. Many in the audiece also felt that there was nothing to shy away from ad it was uncomfortable ony because there have been so few images of Indian gay men or any positive realistic representations of them.

Noted filmmaker Sai Paranjpye said she was very happy that Sridhar, who assisted her for couple of years, had made such an interesting film and she said, "I am proud to be his mentor".

Screening at British Council

Hauntingly beautiful Indian gay film

Internationally acclaimed director Sridhar Rangayan screens his new feature 'Yours Emotionally!' at British Council

While gay rights and partnesrship issues are increasingly politicised both in UK and India - the Civil Partnership issue still being debated and discussed in UK and the repeal of Section 377 gathering momentum in India - gay men in both these countries are yet searching for social acceptance and the often elusive factor : LOVE.

Director Rangayan says of his new film, "This is our own Indian Brokeback Mountain; but what was the reality in the US in the 60s is the reality in small town India even now. Gay men are still expected to marry a woman and live a closeted life, hiding their real feelings and passions. It is indeed very tragic. The film is real and naked and may shock quite a few audiences".

'Yours Emotionally!' - an Indo-UK co-prodution raises some of these issues, challenging stereotypes and cultural differences in a sweeping tale of love, passion and emotional catharsis. Ravi, a young British Asian from Leicester comes to small town India and is captivated by a local youth Mani's passion. But he soon discovers that there are unsurmountable barricades to relationships in the form of age-old traditions and social values that are tough to break out of.
Premiered to sold out shows at NewFest (NewYork) and Frameline (San Fransisco) in June, this 'intoxicating queer journey through India' is garnering some very positive reviews : 'A beautiful feverish dream' (Corey Eubanks); 'Reminiscent of early Merchant Ivory films' (Kelly Vance), 'combines avant-garde cinema with Bollywood tropes', 'cross cultural with a modern English tilt'. It will soon be screened at the Sixth Annual IAAC Film Festival in New York.alongwith Bollywood/Hollywood biggies like Umrao Jaan, Namesake and Back Waters ! It further travels to the 'Prague Bollywood Festival' and 'A Million Different Loves?' festivals in Poland and also screens at the Rialto Filmtheater in Amsterdam.

"I am thrilled by the response to the film in the west. Now it remain to be seen how it will be received here in India", says Rangayan, "I am extremely thankful to the British Council for providing a platform to screen our film. British Council understands and upholds Diversity which is also the main theme of our film."

Sridhar Rangayan's earlier short film 'Gulabi Aaina (The Pink Mirror)' on Indian transvestites, which created a stir at the international festival circuit, screening at more than 60 film festivals around the world and winning Jury Award for best Film in New York and France, still remains banned in India by the censor board.

Date: November 1, 2006
Time: 6 pm
Venue: British Council, Nariman Point, Mumbai
Details : www.solarispictures.com/yeinvite.htm

Yours Emotionally! going places...

Its a busy month for 'Yours Emotionally!' as it screens in many cities in many countries. Check out the schedule below. Anyone in those cities may want to take a look.

Yours Emotionally!

Festival: Prague Bollywood Festival
Date/s: October 15; 8.00pm
Venue: CINEMA SVÌTOZOR Theater
City /Country: Prague, Poland
Contact: http://www.bollywood.cz/Bollywood2006/english/filmy.html#yoursemotionally
alongwith HUM TUM, Kal Ho Na Ho, Taal on the same day!!!

Festival: "A MILLION DIFFERENT LOVES!?"
Date/s: October 22; 10.30 am
Venue: Kino Charlie
City / Country: Lodz, Poland
Contact: www.charlie.pl

Festival : Sixth Annual IAAC Film Festival
Date/s: November 4; 6.00 pm
Venue: Maya Deren Theatre
City/ Country: New York, USA
Contact: http://www.iaac.us/sixth_film_festival2006/festival_catalog.htm#F10
alongside NAMESAKE, UMRAO JAAN and BACKWATERS

Date/s: November 5, 4.45pm
Venue : Rialto Filmtheater
City / Country: Amsterdam
Contact: www.rialtofilm.nl / 020-6768700 /e-mail: rialto@rialtofilm.nl

>> It is a double whammy as both 'Gulabi Aaina' and 'Yours Emotionally!' will together tour 6 cities in Poland - Lodz (Oct 19-22), Gdansk (Nov 2-4), Torun (Nov 9-12), Krakow (Nov 17-21), Poznan (Nov 26-30) and Warsaw (Dec 1-4).
'Gulabi Aaina' will also screen at Leipzig, Germany on October 28, 4pm @ UT CONNEWITZ Theater.

Review of YE in Fire Island Q News

Bruce-Michael Gelbert review of Yours Emotionally! in Fire Island Q News:

"Two seasons ago, Indian filmmaker Sridhar Rangayan’s “The Pink Mirror” was the sensation of the festival. A new work of his, “Yours Emotionally,” shot in England and India, was shown this year and a hauntingly beautiful film it is, demonstrating what East and West, young and old, and straight and gay can learn from each other. Ravi and Paul leave Leiscester, England to investigate Ravi’s ancient ancestral homeland, India, where families still expect their gay sons to marry women and the caste system retains much of its rigidity. They find themselves at an exotic, erotic gay gathering, right out of the Kama Sutra... Emotions unexpectedly run high when Ravi falls for Mani---and then meets Mani’s wife-to-be. The encounters between the men here are steamy and the older gay male couple, Murthy and Anna, is strikingly portrayed."

Yours Emotionally! screened at the Fire Island Film & Video Festival (September 13 -16, 2006) on September 14, 2006 @ 11pm.

The film marked the return of the director to Fire Island where his earlier film 'The Pink Mirror (Gulabi Aaina)' screened as the Closing Night film and won the Jury Award for Best Feature.

Link to festival website: www.liglff.org/fireislandfestival.htm
'The Pink Mirror' link: www.solarispictures.com/fireisland.htm

Screening at Humsafar Trust

Yours Emotionally! had its first Indian outing recently, screening to a packed hall at The Humsafar Trust, a male sexual health agency in Mumbai. More than 100 gay and transgender persons watched the film and participated enthusiastically in the ensuing Q&A session with the director Sridhar Rangayan and lead actors Premjit and Ikhlaq Khan. The screening was special because many members of the audience had participated in the film (in the party and Kamasutra scenes) and for them it was a delight to see a film which they had worked in.

While Rangayan applauded the courage of these queer people who so fearlessly came out to be part of the film for the very first time in Indian cinema history. "It is indeed very brave of you all and I am completely indebted to your participation without which this film wouldn't have been what it is", said Rangayan.

One of the audience member asked, "Why doesn't anyone in the film manage to live happily with the person they love" to which another person retorted, "Have you been able to?" amidst giggles and laughter. Rangayan explained that he tried to mirror reality and usually in most of the real circumstances there are different situations and events that become roadblocks to love; especialy for gay men who have to battle the society to live out their identity and consummate their love.

"How was it doing all those hot scenes?" the audience asked the panel. Premjit mentioned that, "it was all very technical actually with all those lights and crew members!" to which someone quipped, "it hardly looked technical!". Iklhaq Khan, who is a well-known actor in mainstream television and films and for whom accepting to play the role of an elderly gay was a big challenge, said "The director made us comfortable with the situations and sensitized us to the emotional content of the scenes, esp the bedroom scenes and particularly the kiss with Anna which is the high point of the film. None of us found anything crass or vulgar and everything is depicted so sensitively and beautifully".

"Was there any problems during the shooting, considering it is such a bold film?". Rangayan mentioned that they had sought permission to shoot in the streets and the prince of the palace where most of the film was shot was very supportive. Incidentally the prince is none other than Manavendra Singh Gohil who is one of the first person from the Indian royalty to come out openly as a gay person.

"It was amazing that so many gay men and TGs particiapted that too in public places like the riverside and temples. Did no one object or make fun of?". Rangayan said, " What was amazing about the queer people from Lakshya (Baroda) who particiapted in those scenes was that they themselves were utterly comfortable about their sexuality. So, that confidence showed, giving no room for anyone to poke fun at them... and even if they did they cared two hoots about it. It was amazingly empowering"

Many people wanted to know when the film will be released so that it can be seen by a wider audience, "It is a trendsetter... Such films need to be seen. For the first time an Indian film has portrayed the gay community with so much honesty and motionality". Rangayan mentioned that the film will be distributed by Waterbearer Films for the home DVD market but also hoped that more distributors come forward to release it in theaters, maybe even in India.

The evening conclued amidst much mingling and discussions over samosas, dhoklas and tea. Later there was even a performance by the well known dancer Simran (who also played a small role in the film).

New York Times Reader's Review

Reader's Review of 'Yours Emotionally!' on the New York Times Movies page.

Naked & Truthful

July 12, 2006

Many aspects & issues we take for granted here, still seem to pose a challenge to gay men in India. This reality is driven home honestly & emotionally in Rangayan's 'Yours Emotionally' has a universal appeal. The film purports to "explore cultural differences & similarities" between a British Asian from Leicester and a youth from rural India. And it does so vividly, passionately & quite emphatically. But the film doesn't stop there. Its highlight is the 'trans-generational' plot line where we get to see gay men in their 20s as well as a gay couple in their 50s. Stories & images such as these are hard to find, even in the mushroom of american gay films that focus more on hot bodies & the eternal fountain of youth. Through some exquisite color tones & angles, a mood is set that exploits the mental states of all the characters aptly. A dramatic scene between the two boys and the only woman we see on screen (fiance of the village youth) uses extremely vivid compositions and dramatic jump cuts to show changing dynamics of the triangle. Brilliant and truly of international cinematic quality. A daring effort that may be diffiucult for some dogmatic people, was very well received by the New York audiences with lots of laughter and a huge ovation at the end. Wonder how the director would be able to screen such a nakedly trutful film in his homophobic country and more importantly how it will be received. A groundbreaking film.

http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=353906

Hitting the Right Chords

Hitting the Right Chords

GLBTQ discussion board
Posted: 30 Jul 2006, 12:39 am

'A beautiful feverish dream' (Corey Eubanks); 'Reminiscent of early Merchant Ivory films'(Kelly Vance), 'combines avant-garde cinema with Bollywood tropes', 'cross cultural with a modern English tilt'

'Yours Emotionally!', a new gay feature from India / UK that delves into the minds and hearts of South Asian sexual minorities in UK and small town India, is receiving accolades from both South Asian & Caucasian audiences. A honest and moving portrayal of cultural stereotypes and identities, the film is being hailed as a milestone in south Asian queer cinema. "The film is cross-cultural as well as trans-generational", says the film's director Sridhar Rangayan, "for the first time the film portrays an elderly Indian gay couple and their mature relationship as well as a passionate love story between youngsters".

The film opened to sold out shows in New York & San Francisco garnering some very positive reviews : 'A beautiful feverish dream' (Corey Eubanks); 'Reminiscent of early Merchant Ivory films'(Kelly Vance), 'combines avant-garde cinema with Bollywood tropes', 'cross cultural with a modern English tilt'. While the film may face a challenge getting screened in India, it is expected to hit the film festival circuit all around the world soon. 'This film is very special because, for the first time ever more than 100 trans and gay men from India have boldly come out to be part of a film. It is a significant process of empowerment for the Indian gay community', adds Niranjan Kamatkar, the film's producer.

Rangayan, whose earlier film 'The Pink Mirror' was a big success on the festival scene winning several awards, is now planning his next feature 'Songs of Eternal Love' which is to be set in Vancouver and India. He is seeking co-producers in North America who could partner with him to make this film which he says is, 'a beautiful lyrical tale that intersects poetry, religion and passion.It is sexy and spiritual!'

http://www.glbtq.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?p=2146

Review in India New England magazine, Boston

Homosexuality in India, UK explored in film
Rangayan deals with gay complexities in India, UK
By Umang Kumar

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — “Yours Emotionally,” a gay-themed movie set in small town India had its Boston premiere at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Jun 30. Parmesh Shahani, a research scholar in the comparative media studies department at MIT, organized the screening attended by about 50 people.

The story revolves around Ravi, played by Premjit and Paul, played by Jack Lamport, two friends from Leicester in the United Kingdom, who travel to India to attend some gay to-dos in some small towns: first in Gujarat and then in Shimoga, Karnataka.

During a party they attend, Ravi meets a local man called Mani, played by Prateek Gandhi, to whom he takes a liking. Ravi and Paul also come across an older gay couple who act as their hosts in Shimoga and give them glimpses into their lives and the social issues they faced in the expression of their love for each other.

Sridhar Rangayan, the director and co-scriptwriter of the movie who lives in Mumbai, was at hand for the question and answer session that followed the screening. “There are very few queer Indian movies other than the well known ones like ‘Fire’ and ‘Sancharan,’ the latter a recent Malayalam movie,” he said. Through this movie, he said, he wanted to highlight some of the gay issues that exist in India and in the United Kingdom.

Rangayan also said that he wanted to show the reality of gay living in small-town India where such activities tend to be very secretive and far less understood than in the metropolitan areas.
He said that this movie had been shot over just eight days and it had taken about six months to complete production. He was grateful to several members of some of the gay community in India who agreed to be on screen for various scenes of the movie. He also explained how the movie was made on a very tight budget. The character of Paul for instance, played by Jack Lamport, had his flight to India for shooting purposes financed by his mother.

The movie has had a very limited exposure in India but has seen good response in the United States where it was screened in New York and San Francisco before the Boston premiere.
As part of the question and answer session, some people wondered if Rangayan had considered releasing his movies via the Internet, to which he responded by saying that video-on-demand is certainly a promising option for smaller filmmakers.

Answering another question, he felt that the younger generation is more accepting of gay issues. Rangayan also said that the movie tries to show a cultural contrast between its chief characters, one a British-Asian, the other British, both of them from small-town Britain, to their experiences in small-town India. “I wanted to show their sense of marginalization and also some of the underlying similarities in their conditions,” he said.

One of the more notable characters in the movie was that of a wife of a gay man. She is shown helping Anna deal with his family life and his love for another man.

Rangayan, an engineer by training, has several documentary films on various social issues to his credit. He has also been associated with some feature films, like “Papeeha” directed by Sai Paranjape and “English, August” directed by Dev Benegal. He is a social activist and has been involved in gay and other gender issues for several years. His previous film on issues of sexual orientation, “The Pink Mirror (Gulabi Aina),” dealt with cross-dressing drag queens. But it was banned by the censor board in India, who felt it had too much of vulgarity. “They even said that I had not treated the theme with ‘understanding,’”he says.

In his future endeavors as part of seven movies dealing with gay issues that he calls the “Rainbow Series,” Rangayan wants to use the homoeroticism in Sufi poetry in his storyline. “That will introduce an element of lyricism in the theme,” he feels.

The audience seemed to appreciate the directness and the sensitivity with which gay issues were dealt with. “I felt it was a little over-sexualized, but it was a warm and touching depiction, nevertheless,” said Sarav Chithambaram of Cambridge, who is associated with the Massachusetts Area South Asian Lambda Association.

Published in India New England magazine, Boston; Issue Date: July 15 to 31, 2006
Read the article Online here

Screening at MIT

A special screening of the film 'Yours Emotionally!' was organized by Parmesh Shahani at MIT, Boston on June 30

The invite read:
A reminder that there will be a very special screening, and the Boston premiere of the gay Indian film "Yours Emotionally" at MIT, tomorrow, that is Friday, June 30, 2006, between 7:00pm-9:30pm, in room 1-190 (http://whereis.mit.edu/map-jpg?selection=1&Buildings=go ) The film is a surreal journey that deals with the realities of trans-cultural love across India and the UK. (See www.yoursemotionally.com for more)

Sridhar Rangayan, the film's director (Gulabi Aaina/The Pink Mirror, 2003) will be visiting Boston especially for this event, and he will be present for a short Q&A session following the screening. He has been traveling with the film through the US this summer, and it has received a thundering reception over the past 4 weeks at NewFest in New York and Frameline in San Francisco.

I do hope that you will be able to make it for the special Boston event - attendance is free. Feel free to pass on this email to those you think may be interested in attending the screening and/or post it on any lists that you think appropriate.

Sridhar writes: Thanks so much Parmesh. It was such a well organized event and the turn out was really amazing. Especially considering it was a non-academic season at this campus city and it also was the July4th long holiday weekend, to have an auditorium full with more than 125 people was truly gratifying. The Q&A almost went on forever (more than an hour) and we had to take the conversation to dinner at a fantastic bengali resturant. Thanks to the Boston Masala group for spreading the word and of course a special thanks to Junri for putting up those YE posters all over MIT!

During the Q&A, there was quite a bit of debate about the women characters in the film. I tried to portray them as having great emotional strength to sustain marriages with closeted gay men, but many women in the audience seem to think that that is the bane of women - that they are always put on the pedestal and expected to play the Mother India stereotypes. That was thoughtprovoking. Thanks.

Review in East Bay Express

Review in 'East Bay Express '
The Frameline film festival hits the big thirty.
By Kelly Vance
Article Published Jun 14, 2006

Absolutely nothing is taken for granted in writer-director Sridhar Rangayan's Yours Emotionally, a gay male travelogue that claims to explore clashing cultural values between India and the UK but comes across as the trippiest flick in the fest, full of fantasy sequences, color effects, and wonderful music, in the service of its story of two young guys from Leicester on Indian holiday. Ravi brings his white friend Paul to a homocentric resort in a small town, where they meet an older gay Indian couple and find themselves, amid much local color and some truly amazing tropical digressions. It has the deep-Indian feel of an early Merchant Ivory film, only gay. From this movie, you'd think India is loaded with gays — tour operators are no doubt standing by. The final mind-blower is an onscreen display of the Ravi character's phone and e-address, no doubt saving him the trouble of getting a MySpace page.

Link to article : http://www.eastbayexpress.com/Issues/2006-06-14/film/movies_full.html

Frameline press June 25

Harjant Gill, Sridhar Rangayan and Jack Lamport outside Roxie theater where YE screened.

From Frameline's press release June 25 -

Yours Emotionally played to a completely sold out house. In attendance was the charming director from India, Sridhar Rangayan, and one of his actors, Jack Lamport. The Q&A session that followed the screening sparked a very interesting dialogue about the visibility of LGBTQQI persons in Southeast Asia.

Sridhar writes: Indeed the Q&A was interesting. Apart from issues, some of the people in the audinece had very positive reaction about styling of the film - the color tones, effects and surreal scenes. They felt the style complemented the content. In the picture here, to my right is Harjant Gill, a bright south asian filmmaker from DC, whose forthcoming film 'Milind Soman made me gay' is very promising.

Sold out in San Francisco !

Again a sold-out show! YE screened on June 24 at Frameline 30 - San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival - which is one of the oldest and largest queer film festival in the world. 'Yours Emotionally!' was the one of the earliest film to sell out among 300 films from all over the world! Here too an additional screening was scheduled on June 21 to accomodate rush of tickets.

Frameline festival program review -

From the director of The Pink Mirror (Frameline27) comes this intoxicating queer journey through India. Ravi is a young Indian man living in England who impulsively heads to an all-night gay party in an Indian village, dragging his British friend Paul along.Fueled by erotic performances, flirting and sex, Ravi connects at the party with Mani, a closeted working-class guy. Rooming at the very gay-friendly hotel belonging to Murthy and Anna, an older gay couple who have been together for more than thirty years, Ravi decides to stay for a few days to pursue what may be the love of his life, but the consequences of their hedonistic night catch up with them. With bursts of surreal images and scenes, Ravi tries to reconnect with Mani, but the situation becomes rocky when his slutty friend Paul flaunts his own careless hook-up with Mani.Thankfully, Ravi has the wisdom of Murthy and Anna to guide him. They share their stories of defying tradition, loving against all odds and being true to oneself. Invigorated by his time with the couple, Ravi meets Mani once again to see if their fates may indeed be intertwined.In addition to the colorful and bizarre situations, the camera lingers lovingly over the queer Indian male body and exalts its sexuality. With a consistently surreal look, Yours Emotionally feels like a beautiful fever dream inspired by both avant-garde gay cinema and the tropes of Bollywood. — COREY EUBANKS

The film was co-presented by Third I South Asian Films

Frameline website link: http://www.frameline.org/festival/30th/programs/yours_emotionally.html

Conquering the Queens

QMA and 3rdI NY screened 'Yours Emotionally!' as part of its 'Pride month screening celebrations' on June 12 at the Queens Museum of Arts. Our film was preceded by 'Lavender Ink' (USA, 2006, 15 min) a Multimedia Presentation directed by Hector Canonge.

YOURS EMOTIONALLY! Dir. Sridhar Rangayan (UK, India, 2006, 83 min)
While visiting India with his friend Paul, Ravi, a British Punjabi, gets a taste of gay life when they attend a sex party. Though Ravi finds a mixture of dying traditions and shocking openness, he cannot reconcile them with the gay scene back home in Leicester, England. With flashes of semi-surreal situations -presented through exciting dream sequences- the film unfolds on a brightly painted canvas that defies stereotypes and explores contrasting values within Indian and Western gay sub-cultures.Presentation in partnership with 3rdiNY

After the screenings join us for a Q&A panel with directors and artists followed by Queerin' Queens 2006 Performances at the Unisphere Gallery of the Queens Museum of Art

Sridhar writes: "It was a fantastic opportunity for us to screen the film at a platform that was so unique - with an eclectic mix of queer and non-queer and Asian and Cacausian audience. The auditorium was packed and there was huge appreciative laughter right through the film. I was quite dazed because though I always meant the film to be funny, I was not sure it was 'so' funny. Myself and Jack Lamport who was present handled the Q&A where many people wanted to know wht it means to be gay in a homophobic country like India. Many of the older Asian gay men in the audience felt the film depicted a true slice of life in small town India. I was particularly impressed by the collection of shorts 'Lavender Ink' which gave voice to elderly gay men and women, I esp liked the short - 'Three Photographs' which was so poignant and depicted the angst of the south asian identity crisis out there."