Yours Emotionally!

Director(s): Sridhar Rangayan
Writer(s): Niranjan Kamatkar, Sridhar Rangayan
Producer(s): Saagar Gupta, Niranjan Kamatkar, Sridhar Rangayan
Starring: Premjit, Jack Lamport

Ravi and Paul leave their comfortable Western world of Lester, England to travel the gay life of Bangalore, India. Upon arrival their gay friend, Jai, introduces them to an underground, secretive world where gay men and the hijjra community are able to live in peace at least for one night. When Ravi gains the attention of the gay godfathers, Murthi and Anna, both he and Paul wind up in an upscale Indian home where gay men flock for advice from the wise tenants. Ravi falls for Mani, a man destined to marry a woman to help his family. Friendships are tested and relationships face a perpetual obstacle course, but in the end Ravi learns the true nature of being gay, Indian, Sikh, and a man growing up in the West.

Ok. So did you ever play pretend with your friends when you were a kid? Well when I played pretend I would be the director of a movie. I would put the thumb and forefingers on both hands together to form a rough letterbox shape and imagine landscapes and cool shots. And I would say things like "Wouldn't it be cool if the camera started down here and then moved super close to your face and then turned to show the tree." Now imagine if that imaginary movie I was making as a kid was actually made. Tada! You have Yours Emotionally! The filmmaker has this aversion to establishing shots or shots that aren't either a close-up or extreme close-up. The first ten minutes are so close-up you don't recognize the antagonist when you finally meet him in a medium and long shot. The acting. . . well imagine those friends in your kiddie movie getting paid for their kiddie acting skills. It is as if they took two gay men off the streets and said "Hey want to act in a movie? We'll take you to India!" And those two gay men "Sure, why not? I have time to kill before the next White Party"

The only reason I would endorse or support this film is because for once I see a gay man on the screen that looks a little like me. Not enough to buy it, but enough to rent it and watch it. While there have been some memorable gay Indian characters from films like My Beautiful Laundrette, Touch of Pink, Chutney Popcorn, and Chicken Tikka Masala (not a suggestion, just noting memorable gay Indian characters), that have done far more for the Queer South Asian cause, this film focuses less on characters and more on. . . I dunno editing perhaps? Either way, it was worth watching for representation recognition, but not much more than that.