Flashback Friday: Aligarh, A Beautiful Take On Love, Life, And Loneliness

New Delhi: We don’t have a lot to delve into when referencing old Indian films that had a focus on representing the LGBTQ+ community. And disappointingly, if you look deep enough to seek out films from even a decade ago, you might come across films such as ‘Kya Kool Hai Hum’ or ‘Dostana’. In the majority of Bollywood films, gay characters are not simply characters who happen to be queer but mock stereotypes meant to make people laugh. The subject itself acts as merely comic relief in an array of films. Hindi cinema, one could argue, has also given us films like Fire and ‘My Brother… Nikhil’, but did we ever give them the spotlight that they needed at the time? We are a little late to the party, despite the fact that they are now treasured and exhibited as masterpieces crafted by Indian filmmakers.

Speaking of his film ‘My Brother… Nikhil’, Onir in a tweet served the hard-truth and said, “We struggled to tell this story in 2005, and we continue to struggle to tell our stories in 2023.”

We struggled in 2005 to tell this story and we still struggle to tell our stories in 2023. #MyBrotherNikhil we are told “it was ahead of its time” And tell for our current pitches “This is too bold, We are taking baby steps” or we are doing 1 lgbt story, as if https://t.co/DOwpAxqGTi

— iamOnir (@IamOnir) April 28, 2023

This encapsulates the actual state of cinema, which appears to be inclusive on the surface yet has rooted prejudices. Although there has been a surge in queer films and LGBTQ characters in web series owing to the popularity of OTT platforms post-pandemic, mainstream cinema still relies on humorous screenplays to bring up the topic. ‘Badhaai Do’, starring Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar, was a whiff of fresh air as it straight-away addressed the challenges of lavender marriage and gay rights with utmost sensitivity.

Another Rajkummar-starring movie set the bar for how an LGBT film should be made as a human story back in 2016. ‘Aligarh’, directed by Hansal Mehta, captured the lonely existence and agony of Aligarh Muslim University professor Shrinivas Siras on screen, and it has since become a timeless work of art. After being caught in bed with a rickshaw-puller at his home during a sting operation set up by staff members, Siras, the head of Aligarh Muslim University’s Department of Modern Indian Languages, was suspended in February 2010. He effectively argued against this judgment in the allahabad high court. But he was found dead in his flat less than a week after the verdict.

Most LGBTQ films typically focus on characters that are teens or young adults residing in urban setups, bringing up some common issues they are likely to face. This movie, however, changed its point of view by shifting the lens. It talked about how a middle-aged professor, employed by one of India’s once-famous universities, had been driven out of his job and home simply because of his sexuality. The movie exposes all of the angles that Indian society takes on the LGBTQ+ community. Siras’ personal story is recounted against the turbulent backdrop of homosexuality being criminalized in India.

This story, penned by Apurva Asrani, unfolds through the platonic connection that blossoms between Siras (Manoj Bajpayee) and a Delhi-based journalist who is drawn to his case. The fearless journalist Deepu Sebastian uncovers the intricacies of Siras’s story. For his most recent web series, ‘Scoop’, which is now receiving a lot of praise, Mehta once more turned to Sebastian’s research skills.

The brilliance of the Manoj Bajpayee starrer is that it makes its unequivocal backing of LGBT rights apparent while also creating a profoundly shaping depiction of loneliness. Mehta frames his film around a soft-spoken, reserved Siras and gives him undisturbed scenes that reflect his longing for companionship and acceptance. In one such unsettling scene, which portrays the loneliness he feels, he sips whiskey and sings along to Lata Mangeshkar in the empty, worn-out home. He hums along to a song in a melancholic moment with the lyrics, “Aap ki nazro ne samjha, pyaar ke kaabil mujhe.”

Despite everything, Siras is portrayed as a man with a strong sense of himself who won’t let his passion be diminished. In a scene where Deepu asks Siras if he’s gay, he responds by asking how someone can sum up their emotions in only three letters. “It can’t quite capture the depth of my feelings,” he says. However, the same cannot be said for Manoj and Rajkummar’s on-screen interactions, which perfectly convey the emotions and nuance of the narrative. They undoubtedly make up the movie’s heart. But the fact that they embody flawlessly on screen is a compliment to Hansal Mehta and Apurva Asrani.

If you haven’t seen ‘Aligarh’ till this point, you must see it. As soon as you set your mind to it, you’ll start to doubt your own convictions. It’s a masterpiece of cinema.

ALSO READ: Flashback Friday: My Brother…Nikhil, A Film That Dared To Hold A Mirror To The Society