Director: Sameer Malkan
Duration: 00:01:58; Aspect Ratio: 1.222:1; Hue: 187.038; Saturation: 0.139; Lightness: 0.283; Volume: 0.231; Cuts per Minute: 1.517; Words per Minute: 98.079
Summary: A clip from Main Khiladi tu Anari (I'm the player, you're the naive one) (1994), directed by Sameer Malkan starring Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan. The film is a crime and suspense film that revolves around the close relationship that develops between the two male protaganists. For further details on the plot see:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110438/
This clip is part of the Queering Bollywood database, an exhibition and demonstration of a collection of queer readings of Indian cinema. This open and collaborative database of articles, film clips, magazine stories, etc., has been compiled by Namita Malhotra, Lawrence Liang and many others at Alternative Law Forum and in Bangalore. For more, see
http://media.opencultures.net/queer/
An intimate converation between Deepak and Inspector Karan, where he is asking him to stop romancing his sister. The queerness of this scene is in the physical intimacy that is often brushed away as an aspect of homosocial behaviour, rather than overt sexual intentions or behaviour. Certain aspects of what the West has categorized as gay, queer or homosexual interaction, however are not strictly categorized as practices or identities in the Indian context. These could range from homosocial behaviour such as hand-holding on the streets or friendly hand jobs and blow jobs, that in some parts of North India are described as masti. Masti is however not about identities such as gay, queer etc. but are kinds of sexual practices that need not be understood only in terms of orientation.
This clip seems to gesture towards that familiar intimacy between men, even if physical and sexual, need not be translated or understood in terms of identities or even be remarked upon as unusual.
Deepak: But why?
Inspector Karan: Because...
Deepak: Why...
Insp. Karan: Because.. my sister is a big fan of yours
Insp. Karan: I can't understand how she can be such a big fan of yours
Deepak: This may come as a big shock, Inspector Joglekar, but I have thousands of fans in this country.
Insp. Karan: You may have thousands of fans in the country, but you won't have any fans in my house or I will hang you from my ceiling fan. so many fans in India (muttering)
Insp. Karan: Listen, listen ... do something so that my sister hates you
Deepak: But why
Insp. Karan: Because I say so!
Deepak: I won't do it
Insp. Karan: What?
Deepak: I won't do it
Insp. Karan: You won't do it!!??
Deepak: I won't do it
Insp. Karan: You won't do it!!??
Deepak: I won't do it
Insp. Karan: You won't do it!!??
Deepak: First, you have to smile and say 'Please'
Insp. Karan: Please!!!! There I said it..
Insp. Karan: Shut up...shut up
Insp. Karan: She's come now..
fans
gay icon
intimacy
police
queer
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