The Bollywood industry is one of the largest industries in India and the films that are produced there, are widely viewed in all parts of the world (Sidhu). However, even though the Bollywood industry has become more popular and branched out to appeal to audiences outside of India, it (has brought with it some problems as well.) is also problematic. It is problematic because there is a vast divide in the a lack of representation of queer women and female sexuality in Bollywood cinema. (,) In comparison to the representation of gay men in Bollywood cinema, there is a vast divide. This divide can be seen to by demonstrateing how and why male sexuality is more accepted in Bollywood cinema than is female sexuality. In arguing these points (,) I will compare and contrast on films that showcase lesbianism to films that showcase ‘gay men’. These films include, Girlfriend and Dostana, however and I will also make reference(s) to the film Fire(,) due to its depiction of female sexuality. I will then go further to demonstrate that this divide, in Bollywood cinema, is a result of historical factors that have placed women and men into strict gender roles.
Films that depict female sexuality are rarely seen in Indian cinema and those that do, appear only to suit what the audience wants. When a film such as Girlfriends, is compared to another Bollywood film such as Dostana, one is able to see how different and unique each film is. In terms of how they portray female and male sexuality, stereotypical behavior of queerness, and with examining how they did in the box office, one is able to see how audiences’ views differed depending on what gender’s sexuality is being depicted (lesbianism or gay men).
Girlfriend was a film released in 2004 and di...
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...e films that depict lesbianism.
References:
Chaudhuri, Shohini. Feminist Film Theorists: Laura Mulvey, Kaja Siverman, Teresa Lauretis, Barbara Creed. New York: Routledge, 2006.
Das, Surjyakiran. “Girlfriend – movie review by Surjyakirna Das”. Planet Bollywood. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.
Dostana. Dir. Tarun Mansukhani. India, 2008. Film.
Fashion. Dir. Mahdur Bhandarkar. India, 2008. Film.
Girlfriend. Dir. Pammi Baweja. India, 2004. Film
Honeymoon Travels. Dir. Reema Kagti. India, 2007. Film.
I Am. Dir. Tom Shadyac. India, 2010. Film.
Mukherjee, Prabhati. Hindu Women: Normative Models. Calcutta: Oriented Longman Limited, 1978.
Sidhu, SJ. “Where are all the queer women in Bollywood?” The Aerogram. N.p., 30 Aug. 2013. Web 28 Nov. 2013.
Smith, Nicole. “Subordination, Equality and Gender in India”. Article Myriad. N.p., 7 Dec. 2011. Web. 5 Dec. 2013.
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Desai, Jigna. 2004. “Homo on the Range: Queering Postcoloniality and Globalization in Deepa Mehta’s Fire,” inBeyond Bollywood. New York, NY: Routledge, pp. 160.
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DYER, Richard. Gays and Film. Online at http://gente.chueca.com/peliculas2/libros/richarddyer/gaysandfilm.htm . Consulted on Friday, April 02, 2004
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The stories on screen are about men and their conflicts, their dreams, their aspirations, their tragedies, their revenge, their desires and their heroism. The women exist only in relation to those men, as their mothers, their wives, and especially their lovers. (shodhganga
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