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In January 2022, the Ministry of Defence refused an NOC (no objection certificate) to film-maker Onir when he formally submitted his script inspired by the real-life story of a gay soldier who was allegedly forced to quit his job over his sexual orientation.
The movie, called We Are, never got made. But the experience changed something in Onir, especially how he wanted to tell queer stories. The writer-director no longer wants his scripts to revolve around 'acceptance' of queer characters. Instead, he wants his narratives to celebrate them with pride. And that's what his upcoming film – Pine Cone – will do.
"I am not looking for anybody's acceptance and empathy. Neither should the queer community. We are what we are," Onir tells The Quint, from the shoot location of Pine Cone.
Onir made his Bollywood debut with 'My Brother...Nikhil in 2005' – one of the first Hindi-language films to openly portray same-sex relationships. The film revolved around Nikhil (Sanjay Suri) who was forced into isolation after testing HIV positive. When the film was released, AIDS and HIV were discussed in secret – so was the LGBTQIA+ community – due to social stigma.
A lot has changed for the queer community and their representation in Bollywood since then. While films and OTT shows have started portraying queer characters, they are also being appropriated, says the national award-winning director.
The other aspect that India's queer-themed films or LGBTQIA characters lack, Onir says, is the exploration of their desires. The writer-director claims that production houses and OTT platforms are more comfortable to show the physical relationship between lesbian characters, but hesitate to explore the same with two men.
This has a lot to do with the actors who are portraying the characters, Onir adds.
He further says, "The bar is so low, because the community starts celebrating simply because we are being represented. There is so much more to queer lives than whether society accepts them. You can ask any queer person."
"We often hear women say, 'Let's get more of us to work behind the camera to tell our stories'. The same kind of revolution is needed for the queer community," Onir says.
When the film-maker auditioned Vidur Sethi (they/them), who identifies as a queer, he found the 'perfect person' for the lead. Not only do they bring lived experiences, they are also not shy of exploring sensuality on screen. Sethi, a native of Delhi, comes from a literature and theatre background.
"At the same time, queerness is not just about sexuality. It is about gender, about a way of living, about how minority communities are perceived. My queerness is about my art. Queer people have been challenging the norms of society – in that I feel so much potential," they tell The Quint.
Onir is also introducing trans woman Sheetal Shyam, Daman Runway, who identifies as queer, and four new actors – Sahib Verma, Aniket Ghosh, Amit Gurjar, and Hanan – who will be essaying crucial roles.
For 22-year-old Hanan from Kashmir, the opportunity to act in Onir's film is a "dream come true."
The team selected the actors after months of auditions, like Amit Gurjar from Gwalior, who was spotted after a viral Instagram reel. When the team approached him, he never thought he would get selected for the role.
Aniket Ghosh, a theatre person from Kolkata, plays the role of 'Derek', a young queer person who is exploring his own sexuality.
Sahib Verma, another debut actor, concurs. "For me, the experience has been magical. I have changed the way I look at people in general. The movie process has made me more liberated as a person. I strongly believe that people loving anyone is as natural as breathing air," he says.
But Onir says despite introducing new talent and being one of the leading queer film-makers in the country, production houses and OTT platforms rarely approach him to direct films on the theme.
"That's why they don't approach me when they are doing an LGBTQIA+ narrative. Because subconsciously, they do not want a realistic portrayal of the community – something that does not fit into their tiny little boxes of what they see through the heteronormative lens. But 'Pine Cone' will change everyone's perception," he adds.
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