The first Indian film to feature a gay man-on-man kiss has been described as Bollywood’s answer to Brokeback Mountain.
Titled Dunno Y Na Jaane Kyun…, the controversial film finally opened on the weekend following a number of delays due to protests about its theme and demands for cuts by Indian censors.
There are also reports that some cinemas have refused to screen the film. Nevertheless, its release is seen as significant in a country which outlawed homosexuality until last year’s landmark ruling by the New Delhi High Court.
“The feeling before the release is mixed. I am excited, nervous, anxious and happy. The film has faced many controversies, from the censors taking three months, to getting distributors for an unconventional subject,” said Dunno Y’s star Kapil Sharma, who also revealed that he had received death threats
Earlier this year, his co-star, Yuvraj Parashar, was publicly disowned by his father for acting in the film.
Reviews for Dunno Y have been lukewarm with some accusing the filmmakers of not going far enough and one reviewer commenting that “it takes inhuman amounts of guts for two male actors to make love on screen”.
