Entertainment

Lesbian flick outrage


28/ 6/2004

A Bollywood film about lesbians has caused outrage by Hindu fundamentalists in India who want it banned.
Controversial director Karan Razdan's film 'Girlfriends' has been the target of violence by protesters throughout the country.
Hardline Hindu fundamentalists vandalised cinemas in India, tore down posters and ripped billboards advertising the film.
One Mumbai cinema cancelled the film but was still attacked by stick wielding fanatics who smashed the windows and created mayhem inside the auditorium.
Police officers have now been posted outside dozens of cinema, mainly in Mumbai and New Delhi.
Activists say they will pressure the government to censor or ban the film.
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, vice-president of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party said: "We are going to push the government to order the deletion of objectionable scenes in the film. Shots which are against Indian culture should be removed."
Another protester Jai Baghvan Goel said: "The film should be withdrawn. The film shows one woman in a relationship with another woman. We strongly object to this portrayal of Indian society."
The film is also coming under fire from gay and lesbian groups in India.
"'Girlfriends' does a total disservice to lesbians by depicting them as man-hating psychopaths," said Shubra Gupta, a film analyst in New Delhi.
Chatura, of the Organised Lesbian Alliance for Visibility and Action added: "Girlfriend reinforces all the negative stereotypes about lesbian and bisexual women.
"Not only is it a cheap and titillation-oriented film masquerading as one that's liberal, but it portrays the minority community in a negative light."
Director Karan said the Hindu hardline groups' attempts to have the film banned were unjustified, because it had been certified by the federal censor board.
'Girlfriends' stars Isha Koppikar and Amrita Arora. They play two best friends Tanya, a lesbian and Sapna who is bisexual.
When handsome Rahul enters Sapna's life and she falls in love with him, Tanya becomes very jealous and sets out to break them up.


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