Excerpts:
My Brother…Nikhil was made at a time when homosexuality was not part of the mainstream narrative in Bollywood. What impressed you to tackle a movie that handled such a delicate topic, and that too, helmed by a debutant director?
Sanjay: The primary time I met Onir was after we had been taking pictures for Daman: A Sufferer of Marital Violence (2001). He was engaged on the movie as an editor. When Kalpana Lajmi, who was directing the movie, needed to depart the set for a day because of an emergency, she gave Onir the duty of managing the shoot. All of us had been completely satisfied along with his job. I requested him to give you a script, which I may produce. That’s when he confirmed me the script of My Brother…Nikhil. I used to be moved by the writing. I believed the story wanted to be advised, so I supplied to co-produce it. As for performing in it, I didn’t suppose twice as a result of I wished the message to succeed in the viewers. Nonetheless, I used to be warned by many individuals who felt the movie would end my profession. Frankly, such discuss inspired me to discover the topic extra.
Purab: Initially, I used to be sceptical about taking over the challenge as a result of simply earlier than I used to be supplied the movie, I had shot for Luke Kenny’s first directorial 13th Ground, wherein I performed a homosexual character. So, I took a while to learn the script. It was so superb that I gave the nod instantly after studying it. I’m glad that I did a movie like My Brother…Nikhil. It occurred at a time once I was having fun with my profession as a VJ, however this film made me realise that I ought to deal with performing as a profession.
Was there a variety of analysis and prep concerned to get the nuances of your characters and relationship within the movie proper?
Purab: To start with, Onir wished me to play the function of Nikhil, which finally Sanjay did. For me, Nigel was extra of an effeminate character, whereas Nikhil — a state-level swimmer — was the extra
masculine one. So, I needed to course of how I might go about enjoying this character. I used to be very younger once I performed this function, and I typically drew references from my mom’s buddy, who was homosexual. Whereas taking pictures, there have been sure actions that Onir launched me to, which helped me painting Nigel higher. For instance, to know the inventive facet of the character, Onir received me a variety of plain T-shirts and requested me to color them. The truth is, many T-shirts that I sport within the movie had been painted by me.
Did you focus rather a lot on how the connection between the 2 of you’ll unfold on the display screen?
Sanjay: Really, all of it occurred very naturally. We didn’t rehearse a lot. It was so natural that if Onir had added a kissing scene or an intimate scene, I might have been snug doing that, too. Nonetheless, we didn’t maintain any such scenes as we didn’t need them to remove the main focus from the problems that we wished to focus on. For a similar motive, within the movie, we haven’t proven how Nikhil contracts HIV.
Purab: Sanjay and I had been like two components that blended nicely and that made our relationship appear actual.
The movie obtained a variety of appreciation from the critics, what sort of reception did it get from the homosexual group?
Purab: I keep in mind we had hosted a particular screening for the members of the homosexual group, who appreciated the movie rather a lot and had been emotional once they noticed it. In all probability, it was for the primary time that they felt that they had been being represented in the best method in our cinema. Personally, I felt proud when my uncle appreciated me for doing this movie. It got here as a shock as I wasn’t positive about his thought course of and was sceptical about his response. Greater than the theatrical launch, we received a variety of consideration when the movie premiered on TV a few years later. The truth is, at this time, it’s obtainable on an OTT platform, too, and I’m completely satisfied that we have now the youthful era watching it.
Sanjay: We had additionally invited HIV constructive sufferers for the screening, because the movie additionally handled that topic. After one of many screenings, a woman met me and mentioned, ‘Thanks for making this movie because it helped me perceive my daughter higher, who I misplaced to AIDS 10 years in the past’.
Did the movie make you common with the homosexual group?
Sanjay: I keep in mind once I was strolling the streets of San Francisco with my spouse, I had a few males screaming, ‘Hey Nikhil, I really like you’. At the moment, there have been no social media, however my web site had gone dwell and there have been so many messages I obtained from homosexual males. A few of them had been stunned and even
disenchanted that I used to be straight in actual life and married to a lady.
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