I was speaking to a friend and he said that recent Bollywood films romanticising LGBTQ in mainstream movies is the best thing that could happen for the industry. I took few titles as suggestion and it turned out to be a ridiculous. It is great to that mainstream media gushing over any LGBT representation, like recently Cuba took everyone by surprise as it became the first Latin American country to celebrate LGBTQ+ history month. The media reported the passing of feminist movement giant Urvashi Vaid, a trailblazer in queer politics. It's funny to look back at the History of India, we had tons of temples built before 7th century depicting nudity and sex. Brutal depiction of an orgiastic sex, endorsing bizarre fetishes, ritualized sex, homosexuality and bestiality too. I've read that in the medieval era, the Nawabs and aristocrats kept harems of young boys for their sexual pleasures. Ancient India never policed sexuality and i want to mention about Amrita Sher-Gil, she was known as Indian Frida Kahlo and openly Bisexual. This country was unlike the present right wing that India has become. It is still a sad thing in 2022 "coming out" in this day and age is still a thing. Funny how many people think sex education will make their kids pervert while Pornography gets a Covid boost as India reported 95 per cent rise in viewing.
Coming to the recent films i saw, the LGBT themes were used as a cosplaying to fulfil the makers European arthouse fetish and aesthetic fantasies. It was surprising when my friend told me a list of titles and the amount of LGBT content that has come out recently. I suggested him to watch Riyad Vinci Wadia's Bomgay (1996), Onir's My Brother...Nikhil (2005), Shonali Bose's Margarita With A Straw (2014), Sanjoy Nag's Memories in March (2010) and Arekti Premer Golpo (2010). I didn't wanted to recommend these: Ligy J. Pullappally's The Journey (2004), Tony Kakkar's Loev (2015), Jayan K. Cherian's Ka Bodyscapes (2015) and Deepa Mehta's Fire (1996), so i deliberately skipped them. Finally saved the best for the last, this came to mind and i wished him good luck to hunt down Badnam Basti (1971) which is the first mainstream movie to have a queer character. Sorta feel ashamed for not having reviewed this, because I saw it 2 years back, after i missed the Twitch streaming, i believe it was during May 2020 that i got to see it on Vimeo.
Then Netflix released 'Milestone' last year same time, a brilliant character study about a bereaved truck driver who confronts himself in the wake of his wife's death, i have shared my review after watching the film. I could draw a little parallels between both the narrative. Coming to Badnam Basti it was presumed lost for almost half a century until its rediscovery in 2019. Check out the interesting story of how a surname, a cataloguing error brought back this film from dusty obscurity. I am forever indebted to Arsenal Berlin for the efforts behind restoring lost obscure gems, i've been a huge fan of their releases, and have plugged in my review for Fernando Birri'S ORG (1979) and Yugantar film collective's Is This Just a Story? (1983).
The plot: the life of the the 3 main characters in the film: a truck driver and and part-time bandit Sarnam Singh who saves a woman Bansari from being raped. She falls for him, having found a kindred spirit. But it becomes more difficult for Sarnam at each stage in his life becomes more and more difficult and alienates him from the surrounding society. He is jailed for a crime involving the consumption of illicit liquor. After his release, Sarnam has this fear, a crisis that life is gradually pushing him to sideline until he crosses the road and tries to find solace in the company of Shivaraj, a young lad working in a temple. From here, we seem to get used to Sarnam's skin, watching him, noticing subtle changes in moods as soon as he begins to communicate with Shivaraj. A love triangle emerges and a cocktail of hormones is neatly woven touching on the theme of alienation, toxic masculinity, homosexuality but it does not cause disgust. There is a bit of sensuality but these scenes doesn't ooze vulgarity, even the personal intimate conversation of both Sarnam and Shivaraj, the scene in the park, there are still so many sequences where the director put the emotions of the characters so that the viewer can feel what the characters feel. The movie is deeper than it seems at first glance, and its unexpected and the open ending touches to the core. I loved the sequence when Sarnam gives a moral lecture on women to Shivaraj, acknowledging him as his only friend and slowly moves his hand across the shoulders. Sarnam's duet on the screen with Bansari and Sivaraj looked so harmonious that it is simply impossible to imagine someone else in their place. Another scene with Bansari was very moving, it became a of reminder of the violence that women has to endure even till this day as she grieves for being treated like a street harlot. One more key is the auction when Sarnam meets Bansari who is being sold to the highest bidder, the director captures the hardship and the plight of women between shots and with juxtaposition of Vultures.
Everything is very accurate in dosing emotions, symbolic conversations, the voice-over of the character, background score with the signs of Indian melodrama blended with avant-garde sensibilities and editing techniques is observed so perfectly. Even the theme, it does not scream or look for validation or pressure on the viewer. I also loved the editing pattern, the cinematography, i'm a huge of fan of Pramod Pati films and it was easy to recognise his style being incorporated here.
All three actors unknown to me were fantastic and managed to convey to the screen the heartache and despair. Especially for Bansari, caught between too many vultures out there who want to control her vagina. Her love for Sarnam as she struggles with feelings, trying to understand herself and is afraid of being rejected. The ending is open to interpretations, it is bittersweet and i loved how everything was conveyed with subtle facets of emotion.
In conclusion, this story might sound like everything has been written, filmed numerous times already with done-to-death arthouse approach. But i want to state that 'Badnam Basti' will surprise you with its simplicity and this needs to be appreciated for the sincere and honest effort. A creation that must be celebrated by generations and it deserves to be seen by many as possible.
Coming to the recent films i saw, the LGBT themes were used as a cosplaying to fulfil the makers European arthouse fetish and aesthetic fantasies. It was surprising when my friend told me a list of titles and the amount of LGBT content that has come out recently. I suggested him to watch Riyad Vinci Wadia's Bomgay (1996), Onir's My Brother...Nikhil (2005), Shonali Bose's Margarita With A Straw (2014), Sanjoy Nag's Memories in March (2010) and Arekti Premer Golpo (2010). I didn't wanted to recommend these: Ligy J. Pullappally's The Journey (2004), Tony Kakkar's Loev (2015), Jayan K. Cherian's Ka Bodyscapes (2015) and Deepa Mehta's Fire (1996), so i deliberately skipped them. Finally saved the best for the last, this came to mind and i wished him good luck to hunt down Badnam Basti (1971) which is the first mainstream movie to have a queer character. Sorta feel ashamed for not having reviewed this, because I saw it 2 years back, after i missed the Twitch streaming, i believe it was during May 2020 that i got to see it on Vimeo.
Then Netflix released 'Milestone' last year same time, a brilliant character study about a bereaved truck driver who confronts himself in the wake of his wife's death, i have shared my review after watching the film. I could draw a little parallels between both the narrative. Coming to Badnam Basti it was presumed lost for almost half a century until its rediscovery in 2019. Check out the interesting story of how a surname, a cataloguing error brought back this film from dusty obscurity. I am forever indebted to Arsenal Berlin for the efforts behind restoring lost obscure gems, i've been a huge fan of their releases, and have plugged in my review for Fernando Birri'S ORG (1979) and Yugantar film collective's Is This Just a Story? (1983).
The plot: the life of the the 3 main characters in the film: a truck driver and and part-time bandit Sarnam Singh who saves a woman Bansari from being raped. She falls for him, having found a kindred spirit. But it becomes more difficult for Sarnam at each stage in his life becomes more and more difficult and alienates him from the surrounding society. He is jailed for a crime involving the consumption of illicit liquor. After his release, Sarnam has this fear, a crisis that life is gradually pushing him to sideline until he crosses the road and tries to find solace in the company of Shivaraj, a young lad working in a temple. From here, we seem to get used to Sarnam's skin, watching him, noticing subtle changes in moods as soon as he begins to communicate with Shivaraj. A love triangle emerges and a cocktail of hormones is neatly woven touching on the theme of alienation, toxic masculinity, homosexuality but it does not cause disgust. There is a bit of sensuality but these scenes doesn't ooze vulgarity, even the personal intimate conversation of both Sarnam and Shivaraj, the scene in the park, there are still so many sequences where the director put the emotions of the characters so that the viewer can feel what the characters feel. The movie is deeper than it seems at first glance, and its unexpected and the open ending touches to the core. I loved the sequence when Sarnam gives a moral lecture on women to Shivaraj, acknowledging him as his only friend and slowly moves his hand across the shoulders. Sarnam's duet on the screen with Bansari and Sivaraj looked so harmonious that it is simply impossible to imagine someone else in their place. Another scene with Bansari was very moving, it became a of reminder of the violence that women has to endure even till this day as she grieves for being treated like a street harlot. One more key is the auction when Sarnam meets Bansari who is being sold to the highest bidder, the director captures the hardship and the plight of women between shots and with juxtaposition of Vultures.
Everything is very accurate in dosing emotions, symbolic conversations, the voice-over of the character, background score with the signs of Indian melodrama blended with avant-garde sensibilities and editing techniques is observed so perfectly. Even the theme, it does not scream or look for validation or pressure on the viewer. I also loved the editing pattern, the cinematography, i'm a huge of fan of Pramod Pati films and it was easy to recognise his style being incorporated here.
All three actors unknown to me were fantastic and managed to convey to the screen the heartache and despair. Especially for Bansari, caught between too many vultures out there who want to control her vagina. Her love for Sarnam as she struggles with feelings, trying to understand herself and is afraid of being rejected. The ending is open to interpretations, it is bittersweet and i loved how everything was conveyed with subtle facets of emotion.
In conclusion, this story might sound like everything has been written, filmed numerous times already with done-to-death arthouse approach. But i want to state that 'Badnam Basti' will surprise you with its simplicity and this needs to be appreciated for the sincere and honest effort. A creation that must be celebrated by generations and it deserves to be seen by many as possible.
