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Document Type

Article

Abstract

The discourse of sexuality has long been dominated by heterosexuals, and this hierarchy has left homosexuals voiceless. This system has been sanctioned by the social authorities, as well, and heterosexuality has been institutionalized, and the non-heteronormative orientations remain punishable offences. Nor is India exceptional in this respect: Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code considers homosexuality "against the order of nature" and hence a crime. After the Delhi High Court decriminalized Section 377 in 2009, Rituparno Ghosh spoke out for the rights of homosexuals and other sexual minorities. Through his acting, scriptwriting and directing, he established spaces in which society, home/family and self might balance social customs while facilitating dialogue with the gay communities. His Just Another Love Story (2010) exposes the societal reaction to homosexuality, while Memories in March (2010) presents an Indian family's understanding and The Crowning Wish (2012) delineates self and state oppression. Furthermore, the appearance of Ghosh in these films complicates the issue of gender and performance, adding celebrity and stardom to the mix and exposing how gender as performance contests the heteronormative ideology of family and individual and is shaped by hegemony.

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