REPRESENTATION OF ALTERNATIVE SEXUALITIES IN THE MAINSTREAM HINDI CINEMA

REPRESENTATION OF ALTERNATIVE SEXUALITIES IN THE MAINSTREAM HINDI CINEMA

Alternative sexuality comprised of all those people who falls under the categories of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transsexuals. This paper basically talks about how in many Hindi films, characters with alternative sexuality have been represented in a negative way. Mainstream Hindi cinema which is the most widely distributed cinema in the country has traditionally adopted an attitude of denial or mockery towards alternative sexuality. Representations of gays, lesbians and transsexuals have veered between the comic and the criminal. It can also be pointed out that there has been criminalization of sexual minorities in movies like Mahesh Bhatt??s ??Sadak?? and the overtly sensitive ??Tamanna??.Along with this, there are many examples of such movies where these people have been portrayed as deviant, victim or criminal which reflects the mentality of the society which is still in a deep-seated denial that there may be multiple forms of sexuality in a society. This study attempts to answer the question whether in majority of the Hindi movies, the characters of ??Alternative sexualities?? have been represented positively or negatively. While finding out the answer for this question, views and opinions of today??s youth from the age 18-30 is taken into account. The methodology that the researcher followed was based both on secondary and primary data. The researcher tried to collect data and information from various reliable sources like journals,websites,articles,movies etc.Along with this, the researcher also conducted a questionnaire kind of survey on a sample of cinema lovers on the age group 18 -30 years to find out their views regarding the representation of alternative sexualities in the Mainstream Hindi cinema.

DEVCHOUDHURY MEGHNA

Media Studies