HS-404

Homosexuality in Popular Hindi Cinema
Abstract:India is a country with vibrant popular culture. Nowhere is the collective consciousness of the nation probably better essayed than in the cinema, which is viewed with passionate enthusiasm. Taking Popular Hindi Cinema as a mainstay of Indian culture, this article tries to create a link between the depiction of homosexuality in Popular Hindi Cinema and the society. Different viewpoints are looked from and observed in Indian popular culture, such as the non – acceptance of homosexuality by some quarters, the crude stereotyping and the slowly emerging new wave of thought that treats the subject with a compassionate eye, and gives it a humane treatment.

Submitted by : Vivek Maheshwary 0800206

INTRODUCTION : Many Bollywood movies have explored various social issues such as child marriage, polygamy, dowry system, casteism and terrorism. However, homosexuality, a taboo subject in Indian society and religion, has yet not been fully explored in Bollywood. “Homosexuality refers to sexual behaviour with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a homosexual orientation.” Gay refers to male homosexuality whereas lesbian refers to female homosexuality. Jab pyaar kiya to darna kya, Jab pyaar kiya to darna kya, Pyaar kiya koi chori nahi ki, Chhup chhup aahein bharna kya.. The above song is from the movie Mughal-E-Azam can be translated as ‘What is there to be afraid of if you have loved? You have only loved someone and not stolen anything, then why you are hiding and sighing’. This song may well apply to the homosexual couples in Indian society who despite of their love for each other can’t come out in a society which disapproves of such relationship and the imposition of heteronormativity. Heteronormativity is the cultural bias in favour of oppositesex relationships of a sexual nature, and against same-sex