Netflix - Loev: Indian gay love story shot in secret to avoid censors

[Cpt. Rishwat]

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2017/05/0...ot-in-secret-for-fear-of-breaking-indian-law/

Netflix’s new gay love story had to be shot in secret for fear of breaking Indian law




A new Netflix drama about gay love in India had to be shot entirely in secret to avoid the country’s censorship.
‘Loev’ was considered highly controversial since homosexuality is still a crime punishable by life imprisonment according to Indian law.

The film is a story about two friends, Wall Street businessman Jai (Shiv Pandit) and Mumbai music producer Sahil (Dhruv Ganesh), a road trip and the unexpected love arising among them.

Shot over a period of just 16 days, was completed in secret to avoid censorship due to the extreme LGBT laws in the country.

Director Sudhanshu Saria has previously said: “Loev is not a political film, it is a simple love story about an unusual love. But the act of making this film was a political one because of where this film was made.”
The cast worked secretly to avoid Indian censorship sparked by the decision of the Supreme Court in 2013 which criminalises all sexual activities deemed “against the order of nature” including homosexuality.

It seems a shame that we need an American company to produce a film about a story based in India. But on the other hand at least it puts Indians on the map, I have often remarked on how few of them are seen on American TV shows despite the threads about their success in the US.

 

[JaDed]

It seems a shame that we need an American company to produce a film about a story based in India. But on the other hand at least it puts Indians on the map, I have often remarked on how few of them are seen on American TV shows despite the threads about their success in the US.

What's the point you are trying to make? Why would American be interested in stories of India,at best it can be into making stories of Indian-Americans which there are?Or you talking specifically about the topic?Not clear.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

What's the point you are trying to make? Why would American be interested in stories of India,at best it can be into making stories of Indian-Americans which there are?Or you talking specifically about the topic?Not clear.

It's pretty clear in the first sentence of the article. There is strict censorship in India regarding gay relations and that's obviously a topic that has piqued enough interest for the TV giant Netflix to produce a show on it. Read the article.

 

[idrizzy]

It seems a shame that we need an American company to produce a film about a story based in India. But on the other hand at least it puts Indians on the map, I have often remarked on how few of them are seen on American TV shows despite the threads about their success in the US.

I think it's good for Asians in general. I can't recall of one "big famous Asian actor" other than Riz Ahmed (watch The Night Of - brilliant TV series) but even then he hasn't had a main role in a blockbuster, rather a few roles here and there with Star Wars coming to mind and his hit Four Lions being the sole movie of recollection.

There might be more I'm more aware of, but Riz Ahmed is the only name that springs to mind.

TV shows are still a way of exposing Asian actors. Good for them.

 

[KingKhanWC]

It seems a shame that we need an American company to produce a film about a story based in India. But on the other hand at least it puts Indians on the map, I have often remarked on how few of them are seen on American TV shows despite the threads about their success in the US.

I found it really surprising Bollywood would censor this and the laws in India. I thought Bollywood moved past modesty or lack of x rated films so why the taboo in this type of story?

 

[Adil_94]

this film will serve a good purpose in uniting hindutva and mullah brigade against immorality just like valentines day does in India.

 

[CricketCartoons]

I think indian movies should show the reality and not topics like sex, religion, politics and crime.

 

[Specialisttailender]

It seems a shame that we need an American company to produce a film about a story based in India. But on the other hand at least it puts Indians on the map, I have often remarked on how few of them are seen on American TV shows despite the threads about their success in the US.

Netflix produces Indian shows for Indian Netflix and this is just one of them. Your cheap attempt to take shot fails here today.

 

[JaDed]

It's pretty clear in the first sentence of the article. There is strict censorship in India regarding gay relations and that's obviously a topic that has piqued enough interest for the TV giant Netflix to produce a show on it. Read the article.

Oh ok,actually that's not true if not how did movies like Kapoor and Sons,Aligarh get passed? Also before this series came Balaji telefilms already made one 2 months ago.

I found it really surprising Bollywood would censor this and the laws in India. I thought Bollywood moved past modesty or lack of x rated films so why the taboo in this type of story?

Above post.

 

[KingKhanWC]

[MENTION=137142]JaDed[/MENTION]

I dont watch Bollywood but read about it sometimes, so I'm glad you have clarified. I did think it was a surprise, Bollywood has advanced so much it shows explicit scenes regularly. One thing which doesn't make sense is Bollywood is watched by all types of Indians yet the society hasn't moved 'forward' at all.

 

[JaDed]

[MENTION=137142]JaDed[/MENTION]

I dont watch Bollywood but read about it sometimes, so I'm glad you have clarified. I did think it was a surprise, Bollywood has advanced so much it shows explicit scenes regularly. One thing which doesn't make sense is Bollywood is watched by all types of Indians yet the society hasn't moved 'forward' at all.

Don't think any society as such can be generalized,but there has been a massive improvement in women taking charge and imo the next decade Indian women will be visible and killing it in all forms of life and not just being housewives ,men hopefully can keep up.

We have started having transgenders holding position in Police and Govn offices,slowly and steadily things will improve,but if you are talking about dancing nude or kissing in public don't think that's ever gonna happen openly.

Also what explicit scenes,do you mean semi nude girls dancing in songs in movies,that's probably creating more backwardness than progress.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Don't think any society as such can be generalized,but there has been a massive improvement in women taking charge and imo the next decade Indian women will be visible and killing it in all forms of life and not just being housewives ,men hopefully can keep up.

We have started having transgenders holding position in Police and Govn offices,slowly and steadily things will improve,but if you are talking about dancing nude or kissing in public don't think that's ever gonna happen openly.

Also what explicit scenes,do you mean semi nude girls dancing in songs in movies,that's probably creating more backwardness than progress.

I read you have former adult film stars now taking up leading roles and the type of explicit scenes revolving around intimacy are normal now. Along with what you have shown earlier, why is such a series subject to censorship?

Having said this India is still a conservative society as a whole, is it trying to hard to become westernised?

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Netflix produces Indian shows for Indian Netflix and this is just one of them. Your cheap attempt to take shot fails here today.

How did you manage to extrapolate that post as me taking cheap shots? I didn't write the article, the director (who is Indian) is the one who is making the fuss about the 2013 law making it very difficult to make films about gays in India.

 

[CricketCartoons]

The article has wrong information, probably due to the ignorance of the writer (high on english, low on facts).

No new law was passed which criminalized homosexuality. Article 377 of the Indian Penal Code was introduced by the British (their rotten victorian values, which slave Indians still abide by). In 2009, Delhi High Court passed a judgement that the archaic law was against individual freedom, and was celebrated by LGBT and liberal fascists. The Supreme Court, however, overturned the lower court's verdict, stating that this law has to be amended by an act of parliament, and not through the court. And since then the status quo remains, the government, like all its predecessors, has continued to let the british archaic ideals (which even britishers have come out of) dictate the indian society.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

this film will serve a good purpose in uniting hindutva and mullah brigade against immorality just like valentines day does in India.

I don't really see how. There has been a couple of threads about the Islamic position on homosexuality, but from comments on those threads I was led to believe that the prohibition to such practices were introduced by the British and prior to that homosexuality wasn't a taboo subject in India. What then would the Hindutva objection be based on?

 

[JaDed]

I read you have former adult film stars now taking up leading roles and the type of explicit scenes revolving around intimacy are normal now. Along with what you have shown earlier, why is such a series subject to censorship?

Having said this India is still a conservative society as a whole, is it trying to hard to become westernised?

Censorship shouldn't exist,it should only certify,but it's a political thing as they get to censor movies based on politics and yes India's society is conservative hopefully that changes ,is it trying to become westernized I don't know maybe or maybe they want freedom of thought or just make money with some adult star as an actress who can't speak Hindi.

 

[Yossarian]

Censorship shouldn't exist,it should only certify,but it's a political thing as they get to censor movies based on politics and yes India's society is conservative hopefully that changes ,is it trying to become westernized I don't know maybe or maybe they want freedom of thought or just make money with some adult star as an actress who can't speak Hindi.

So unless they're related to Marcel Marceau, I take it getting the parts are not due to their acting abilities?

 

[CricketCartoons]

So unless they're related to Marcel Marceau, I take it getting the parts are not due to their acting abilities?

At least in bollywood, yes. The more pakistani you can look, the better chances of getting a role. No wonder it is dominated by migrants from pakistan and loved by those indians who like to be ruled by the exalted pedigree.

 

[Yossarian]

At least in bollywood, yes. The more pakistani you can look, the better chances of getting a role. No wonder it is dominated by migrants from pakistan and loved by those indians who like to be ruled by the exalted pedigree.

I thought the view of most Indians (on this forum at least) was that there was no such thing as a "Pakistani look" because "most Pakistanis are descended from Hindu converts", and thus, by and large, have the same ancestors as most Indians? Surely having a "Pakistani look" runs counter to that view?

 

[Adil_94]

@Cpt.Rishwat yes there is nothing in Hindu scriptures that is specifically against homosexuality but indian society at large still holds conservative views bar a few liberals.

hindutva organisations are very socially conservative and preach against anything that they see makes India look bad and weakens the moral fabric of society. They were one of the ones who protested against Indias decriminilisation of homosexuality and lobbied the supreme court to overturn it and criminalise it again.

 

[JaDed]

So unless they're related to Marcel Marceau, I take it getting the parts are not due to their acting abilities?

Defn not for acting abilities.

I thought the view of most Indians (on this forum at least) was that there was no such thing as a "Pakistani look" because "most Pakistanis are descended from Hindu converts", and thus, by and large, have the same ancestors as most Indians? Surely having a "Pakistani look" runs counter to that view?

He is just biased against the bollywood actors just because the ones who were born across Punjab,Peshawar(the Hindus,Sikhs ) made it big in bollywood.

Guys like Amitabh Bachhan,Sanjeev Kumar,Guru Dutt all made it big irrespective of being born on this side.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

@Cpt.Rishwat yes there is nothing in Hindu scriptures that is specifically against homosexuality but indian society at large still holds conservative views bar a few liberals.

hindutva organisations are very socially conservative and preach against anything that they see makes India look bad and weakens the moral fabric of society. They were one of the ones who protested against Indias decriminilisation of homosexuality and lobbied the supreme court to overturn it and criminalise it again.

Yes I hear that the Hindutvas are very conservative, I just don't understand the link. If there's nothing specific (according to your understanding) then why do conservatives need to attach a religious angle to homophobia?

I am wondering whether you perhaps don't know about this subject to the same depth as you do from the Islamic side, the links might be there in older Hindu texts. I know the Manusmriti has some really medieval texts that make the Quran look positively liberal. It would explain the Hindutvas leading the fight for censorship in India.

 

[IgnitedMind]

It's pretty clear in the first sentence of the article. There is strict censorship in India regarding gay relations and that's obviously a topic that has piqued enough interest for the TV giant Netflix to produce a show on it. Read the article.

Aligarh Won National Award !

And btw...Kapoor and Sons !

Not true at all...again people with half knowledge commenting on Indian film industry !

Balaji telefilms is also producing a similar web series. And then there is Karan Johar directed bombay Talkies....

 

[Adil_94]

@Cpt.Rishwat would have to read up on manusmriti but dont doubt any texts written in the bronze age will have ideas that are out of tune with modernity. but i do know there are carvings on very old temples that depict homosexual acts and i think kamasutra manual shows same sex acts too.

hindutvas adoption of anti homosexual stance is most likely a colonial hangover and how it was drilled into them that homosexual acts are perverse and sinful and a lot of hindus still hold to that mentality. also the shame culture in india will play a part and having a homosexual child is seen as an embarrassment as they arent able to naturally fulfill the duties of a child especially a son to carry on the family name and traditions.

i think hindutvas adopt this stance from a nationalistic p.o.v just like the Nazis saw homosexuality as deviant and a threat to masculinity and sent them to death camps despite many of them rejecting Christianity and religion they still held radical homophobic views. Mussolini was also anti gay for the same reasons and he was an atheist.

Stalin also recriminalised homosexuality in russia despite being a militant anti theist so religion isnt the only factor i feel.

RSS and VHP are inspired by fascist movements like the Nazis.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Aligarh Won National Award !

And btw...Kapoor and Sons !

Not true at all...again people with half knowledge commenting on Indian film industry !

Balaji telefilms is also producing a similar web series. And then there is Karan Johar directed bombay Talkies....

I don't even have half knowledge, I am going off the person who wrote the article. Did he have only half knowledge as well?

 

[Specialisttailender]

How did you manage to extrapolate that post as me taking cheap shots? I didn't write the article, the director (who is Indian) is the one who is making the fuss about the 2013 law making it very difficult to make films about gays in India.

Your continuous attempts to smear India in bad light is not gonna work. India is a 3rd world desi country progressing, its still 3rd world, why are you always surprised that is not like West ?

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Your continuous attempts to smear India in bad light is not gonna work. India is a 3rd world desi country progressing, its still 3rd world, why are you always surprised that is not like West ?

I don't really know what you are talking about here, I didn't write that article.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

@Cpt.Rishwat yes there is nothing in Hindu scriptures that is specifically against homosexuality but indian society at large still holds conservative views bar a few liberals.

hindutva organisations are very socially conservative and preach against anything that they see makes India look bad and weakens the moral fabric of society. They were one of the ones who protested against Indias decriminilisation of homosexuality and lobbied the supreme court to overturn it and criminalise it again.

It depends. I don't think Hinduism is any more pro LGBT than Christianity/islam are but it is true that homosexuality was tolerated in this part of the world and even accepted at times.

 

[Adil_94]

[MENTION=113824]Nikhil_cric[/MENTION] idk if hinduism even the concept of homosexuality. The Romans and the Greeks also didnt have a concept of homosexuality as a specific orientation as bisexuality was fairly common in their societies. But a man was still expected to marry a woman and father a child. I think the Roman Emperor Nero even married a man. The Ancient Greeks also practiced pederasty between younger boys and older men which is believed to be where the practice of bacha bazi is inherited from.in Afghanistan.

the Abrahamic.faiths holy scriptures all directly address homosexuality im not sure if Hindu scriptures did or saw it as a moral issue.