Monday, February 05, 2007

Homosexuality and Vetayada Villayadu

A couple of Sundays back, I watched Vetayada Villayadu and frankly, I was offended by the way homosexuality is depicted in the movie. It clearly reflects the prejudices in our society against gay people and it defies all logic and sensitivity. When will we, as a society, move past the dark ages?
Picture this: In the last scene of the movie Kamal Hassan is confronting the two serial killers and discovers that they are gay. So he tells one of them, " So you're homosexuals." Just as if, as if that one fact explains why they are all weird and going around raping and killing women.
So if they are gay, someone explain to me why they are shown as being sexually turned on by the women they are about to rape. What I could have swallowed (not understood of course, difficult to understand rape) was that they were doing it as an act of power, but being turned on...excuse me, puh-leeze.
That kind of prejudice is as bad as the one I kept hearing growing up that all gay men must make passes at all men and all their acts, sexually motivated. These messages were so subtle that it is hard to tell now where one got them from.
My dear friend, who is gay, and whom I shall not name here, was told by his dad to get himself treated for his gay-ness as recently as three years ago. "It is a disease," he was told.
Such prejudices coming through in a movie that has the power to shape thoughts and in the hands of a director who is respected is scary. Will someone tell the movie maker to research his politics of homosexuality before he decides to use it in a film? Such ignorance is not becoming.

3 Comments:

Blogger D LordLabak said...

Oops my comment disappeared. Are long comments not allowed?;-)
I am divided on this issue. Is that a disease or is it natural? A concrete proof would help people like me.

12:14 PM

 
Blogger Vidya said...

I don't think there is any disease associated with sexual preferences. Many people in India had hidden it too well. And I can understand why they want to hide it too.

But to term that as a disease is taking it a bit too far. Well,Indians loathe divorcees and widows and call them "used cars". Now is that too a disease?

Vidya

3:13 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

yup...me had the same thots too.if they are indeed gay men why the fuss over women? defeats their sexuality. or maybe they were bi-sexual. the director wanted to entertain at us newer lengths lol. i wudnt expect this from the gautam menon movie threshold...he shud know betta!

2:00 AM

 

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