'Kapoor & Sons' is worth celebrating because of Fawad says Onir

As the city of Mumbai welcomes the sixth edition of the Kashish International Queer Film Festival, filmmaker Onir speaks exclusively to us about the panel discussion he will be holding along with Zoya Akhtar and Nandita Das. The theme of their discussion will be the raging topic of censorship in cinema and its relevance in the internet age. Speaking to Bombay Times, Onir says,"With content becoming handy in the online space, it is time we revise the guidelines of censorship in movies as per the contemporary scenario .It seems to many that in India, censorship in films in the last few years is because of personal biases and prejudices. Though the Panel led by Shyam Benegal has made some pertinent suggestions, it needs to become a reality for filmmakers to make films free from the pressure of living up to set standards."
The director is fearful of using words like 'pathbreaking' but he believes 2016 is a red letter year for the LGBT coterie as mainstream films are fast embracing an ostracized community and treating them with dignity. "In the first quarter of this year, we have already had three films - 'Aligarh', 'Kapoor & Sons' and 'Dear Dad' which beats the stigma of homosexuality. They were all real men with a different orientation which doesn't make him any less masculine. For me, 'Kapoor & Sons' is worth celebrating because of Fawad. A man from across the border especially because of Pakistan's inherently conservative society, had the guts to play the role of a gay man without any qualms. Having said that, I also feel that such commendable films have been made before. This year has been encouraging but the industry's perception hasn't changed much," he says.

While on one hand, mainstream films are just beginning to embrace risky themes, regional cinema is light years ahead of us, opines the director. "Regional cinema rocks because they have the guts and the freedom to do so much more. Mainstream films have to match up too many expectations. With the current ticket costs of movies, it is impossible for any niche film to recover their costs. It is necessary that taxation is relaxed. In case of Bollywood films, the financiers are looking to recover more money but it is impossible to monetize a niche film given the publicity costs. Isn't it cardinal rule that products should be priced differently depending on the cost of manufacturing. Then how can multiplexes selling a high-budget film and a low budget film at the same cost? It is unfortunate that the government has no plan for the film industry. Bollywood's is amongst the world's largest industries in terms of providing employment and incurring revenues. For such an industry to survive, every story needs to told," he emphasizes.
As much as the ongoing festival is about championing the cause of the queer community, it is actually the people's love for cinema that keeps the festival going and growing each year. "I love the sense of jubilation in the air when people come together and watch movies. In India, it is still far-fetched to make a Danish Girl but we are taking baby steps in the right direction, which is encouraging. For cinema to change, attitudes need to change. Film are often dumped in the garbage on the pretext of Article 377. When laws are revised, the Censor Board too will mend its ways. I made 'I Am' in 2011 which was given a U/A certificate by the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification).The film won two National Awards but it never made it to television in any slot, except Doordarshan. I have managed to fight and work my way around government bodies but how do you fight homophobia? I was told that my film won't get them good ad revenues but how can everything be based on economics. Shouldn't exception be made for such films that create awareness? We cannot let art wilt because of money," signs off Onir.