Now that homosexuality is legal in the country of India, citizens will start to have better access to LGBTQ films.
In fact, citizens may realize that access to LGBTQ films has already gotten better.
The film Ka Bodyscapes depicts the relationship between a painter, named Haris, an athlete named Vishbu, and a feminist activist named Sia. The story follows the couple, and their friend, as they struggle to find peace in their conservative home.
“In a nutshell, it deals with the struggles of Kerala’s youth to find a space for themselves and for individual freedom,” said writer/director Jayan Cherian according to The Hindu.
“It’s heartening and significant that it’s reaching cinemas when the apex court has struck down the portion of the law that criminalised homosexual relations,” he then added.
Despite being well received by critics and fans of LGBTQ films across the globe, the film caused controversy for it's depiction of Hinduism. In addition, the movie was banned by the Central Board of Film Certification (or the CBFC) for “glorifying homosexuality.”
This is the same censorship board that banned Love, Simon from playing in India because of it's focus on gay romance.
This ruling came before the now famous ruling by India’s Supreme Court that decriminalized gay sex. Now with that ruling a month behind us, the CBFC’s decision has be overruled and Ka Bodyscapes can be distributed in the country.
The film officially premiered in the southern state of Kerala yesterday (October 5), and Cherian plans to distribute the film all over the country.
“An artist’s only weapon of resistance is his/her art practice. We need to tell the world that we are alive and refuse to be cowed down.”
h/t: The Hindu
