With the impending release of the much over-hyped movie Dostana, it made me realize that there are quite a lot of queer films coming out with Indian leads. Upcoming films such as I Can't Think Straight and The World Unseen both feature prominent desi folk, which begs the question - is Bollywood finally ready for gay cinema? I mean movies with an actual plot - I think the only reason to see Dostana in the cinemas is to watch the men flutter shirtless across the screen. Reading an Indian magazine recently, there were a few Bollywood actors and actresses who were asked if they would play gay in a film. All of them said yes, "as long as the director knows what he wants from the scene and from the film". I remember the first Indian film I saw with any hint of gayness in it was the infamous Bombay Boys - though it can hardly be called a gay movie, it still caused plenty of mayhem and subsequent banning when it hit India.

When Fire was released, that too sent shockwaves through the Indian community. But many gay women said that Fire was a misconception - portraying the idea that if a woman feels neglect and abuse at the hands of her husband, she automatically begins to love women. Having said that, if Bollywood can handle the likes of cross-dressing men on screen, why can't we have a decent gay Indian film? Everyone from Amitabh Bachan to Govinda to Salman Khan have been seen swaying in a sari, so isn't it about time that Indian cinema truly came out of the closet?

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