From ridicule to empathy: Shabana Azmi charts portrayal of LGBTQ community in cinema

Veteran actor Shabana Azmi is glad that discourse around LGBTQ community is a lot more open today, with even mainstream cinema portraying m with compassion. 

Azmi starred in filmmaker Deepa Mehta's acclaimed "Fire" (1996), about a lonely woman in love with her sister-in-law, played by Nandita Das. actor recalls how trio were asked if y were lesbians at London Film Festival because y had done "Fire". 

"Today, it's fine. I must give credit to mainstream industry that instead of making m a subject of ridicule, y are watching m with empathy," she says. In an interview with PTI, actor says she was aware during "Fire" that some would be "outrd, moved and shocked", but at least a dialogue would start in a society, which was so afraid of "or" that it hated m and was quick to stigmatise.

"Starting a dialogue is maximum you can do with a part or a film. I felt if audience could empathise with two sister-in-laws, n y would be able to extend that empathy to or race, nation, colour, or choice. You demonise or because you don't kw m." actor w features in "Sheer Qorma", an upcoming love story between two queer women, played by Swara Bhasker and Divya Dutta.

Azmi says doing "Sheer Qorma", directed by Faraz Arif Ansari, was a logical move forward after "Fire". "re has definitely been a great change in society as re should be. It is far more visible w, re's far greater acceptability, considering that even in mainstream cinema you get to witness it. Earlier it would just be a subject of ridicule, but it's shown with empathy and compassion. 

" tion of family is changing today. It's longer heterogeneous family of man woman child. w two women have children, two men are having children, single mors are having children. So tion of family is expanding, which is healthy."

69-year-old actor says her character in film, that of a mor trying to adjust to revelation of her daughter's sexuality, represents many people, who have difficulty facing truth.  "She's a woman who doesn't say, 'This is just unbearable.' She tries to cope with it but feels really stretched because as long as it was abroad, it was re, but she has brought this home. When she's confronted by her daughter, that makes her realise. 

"I see so many people who have had troubles accepting this of ir children but finally y come around because mor's love wins." While Bollywood films have been often criticised for an inaccurate or caricaturish representation of LGBTQ community given its huge impact on mindset of masses, Azmi believed it would be a stretch to say that films alone have played a role in oring community.

"Anybody, who strikes out as looking different, who's more visible, society in any case finds it difficult to adjust to LGBTQ community. Anyone who wants to look different is looked at (strangely)." To give perspective, actor recalls an incident where a gay friend of hers arrived to pick her up in US, dressed in a faux fur long jacket, diamond necklace, with an eyeliner, and she had remarked, "If he could have dressed up soberly."

"And he said, 'Excuse me for breathing!' I said , it wasn't about breathing but attracting attention. He said, 'You think it's about attracting attention but this is way I want to be.' That really started for me feeling that we are so conditioned that we are easily outrd by anyone who doesn't fit rm." Azmi says it's important to understand that mirities and oppressed communities have to take dramatic steps for ir identities to be seen and included. This is why, she says, she understands why people from LGBTQ community developed ir own fashion sense, art and culture.

"When re's this kind of social shift and change, you have to do something dramatic which captures people's attention. So LGBTQ community, dressing in a way which brings visibility to m, is a way of seeking comfort. Why should y have a problem of, first, coming out in open, n dressing way y feel like."

Ar criticism against Hindi cinema over representation of LGTQ community has been that often such characters are one-dimensional with thing apart from ir sexuality given any importance.  Azmi says it's a fair argument that members of community shouldn't only be represented for ir sexuality. "You can't define a person from LGBTQ community only by that. re are so many aspects to m and that's fair to demand, that you don't see me only as this."

With "Sheer Qorma", scheduled to be premiered at BFI, London on March 21, Azmi hopes conversation moves ahead and her character resonates with people.. "I hope when mor accepts, she represents people who have troubles with it. She comes with her own sets of conditioning and prejudices, to finally realisewhich I hope people do toothat love is t a sin."