Mohar Basu mohar. basu@ mid- day. com At the very start of the chat, writer- director Hitesh Kewalya admits that he faced more than a fair share of resistance with Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan. But the director had the perfect comeback for those who asked him why he was telling a same- sex love story in his maiden outing: u201c I would turn around and ask them, u2018 Why not?u2019u201d Kewalya believes the Ayushmann Khurrana starrer is a much u201c requiredu201d film in todayu2019s times.
u201c The gay community has rarely been portrayed with the dignity and respect they deserve. This film is made with the motive of appealing to as many people as possible.
So, weu2019ve taken the route of humour.
Laughter opens people up to difficult conversations,u201d he reasons, adding that he spent a year developing the screenplay. u201c Every week, either Ayushmann or the producers would call and ask, picture bani kya? This film takes on homophobia; it holds a mirror to society and its need to box us into gender identities. How can we, as a society, pick out a certain kind of love and say that it must be banished? Why is this non- issue being made into an issue?u201d While Sonam K Ahujau2019s Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga ( 2019) was applauded for being Bollywoodu2019s first mainstream same- sex relationship drama, it was also criticised for not delving deep into the love story or showing physical intimacy between the leads. Though he hasnu2019t seen the movie, Kewalya understands why one would be cautious while dealing with such delicate material. u201c People are scared despite the decriminalisation [ of Section 377]. Sexuality is rarely discussed in films anyway. Initially, Ayushmann and Jitu [ Jitendra Kumar] had their share of guffaws, but four scenes later, they were professionals and have created a couple that people will root for.u201d On his part, however, the writer- director has been assured in his depiction of samesex love, not shying away from including the kissing scene between Khurrana and Kumar in the trailer.
Fortunately, the Censor Board has cleared the scene in question. Ask him if he was in two minds about showcasing the kiss in the promo, and he asserts, u201c There was no question of hiding any bit of the film. We wanted to play on the front foot.
Why shouldnu2019t we? After Shubh Mangal Saavdhan [ that he wrote the dialogues for], we understood the audience we were dealing with.
We are sure about our story, and are going all out with the hope that society changes, one film at a time.u201d Addressing homophobia in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, director Hitesh discusses why he didnu2019t shy away from including the kiss between leads in the trailer u2018 Wanted to play on front footu2019 u2018 This film holds a mirror to society and its need to box us into gender identities. How can we, as a society, pick out a certain kind of love and say that it must be banished?u2019 Kewalya Ayushmann Khurrana and Jitendra Kumar in the film
