Shakun Batra defends homosexuality in ‘Kapoor and Sons’

Shakun Batra has stressed on breaking stereotypes prevailing in Bollywood movies with his last ‘Kapoor and Sons’ (2016).

According to DNA India,��the filmmaker says��homosexuality has always received a caricaturish treatment in Bollywood films but he has tried to break the stereotype with Kapoor and Sons’ (2016). Batra wanted to retain some realism with the gay aspect in the film.

“I am really put off by the regressive portrayal of homosexuality in Indian films. I feel it is done in really bad taste. In my film, I wanted to tell a story which will not put off any part of the audience. The idea was to say it in a way that even if my mother saw it she will not be put off. The aim was that more people should come in and understand how things are actually,” said Batra.

He added,”For me the movie wasn’t just about that (homosexuality). It was one of the facets, but surely an important one. The fact is the moment you say you are making a gay film half the audience doesn’t show up. I was trying to give something palatable to them and yet trying to give them a view which will stay with them at least for a bit.”

‘Kapoor and Sons’ is a 2016 movie produced by Karan Johar and directed by Batra with main leads as Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Fawad Khan, who played the homosexual character.

The director also said, “When Karan started showing gay characters in his films it was the need of the hour to showcase them in a funny way otherwise audience wouldn’t have excepted it. But when he read the script, he was very proud of it. He was really encouraging. He has been trying to put it out there in his way and now with Kapoor & Sons he has helped me to portray it in a way which is real and sensitive.”

By Rima Chaturvedi