Indian film festival highlights gay rights

Anna Cunningham, Mumbai

Last Updated: Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:49:00 +1000

Mumbai has wrapped up the country's largest gay film festival, an event seen as a step forward for gay rights in India.

It's the first time in India that more than 100 gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-sexual based films, from 25 countries, including Australia, the UK, France and Israel have got past the censors to be shown in a public cinema alongside mainstream Bollywood and Hollywood releases.

For many attending the Kahish festival, like Indian playwright Mahesh Dattani, it's a step forward and recognition for the country's gay community.

"I think this a hugely important event, we've never had a queer film festival," he's told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program.

"I think there's so many myths and misnomers about queerness, about sexuality in general and I think this gives the audience an opportunity to try and understand and to actually see for themselves what queer love is and what queerness is about."

Mumbai is India's most cosmopolitan and liberal city, but outside this financial and entertainment capital, the country largely remains a conservative society and attitudes are hard to change.

Last year, Delhi's high court passed a historic ruling that section 377, a law in place since the British era making gay sex illegal, was now deemed discriminatory.

Saurabh Masurkar, an Indian artist, says that ruling has brought gay issues into the limelight in India - something the festival is continuing.

"These kind of film festivals are a slap on homophobic faces really," he said.

"If this wouldn't really help them to accept it, at least it will leave them no choice to decline or deny it," he said. because, it will be spoken all around."

The festival is also concentrating on transgender issues, hoping to highlight the issues of India's transgenders, also known as Hijaras, who are often seen by society as the lowest of the low.

A member of the festival organising team, Abheena, says the transgender community encounters a lot of discrimination on a daily basis.

"These are the films that talk about the various issues of gender and sexuality and it gives and opportunity and a platform for the general people to come and understand us rather than be afraid of," she said.

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