When I finished watching the film, I was in a great sense of despair and full of emotions. I literally cried like a child in theater hall. This film does this to me and it was painful yet hopeful to watch the story of a professor in Aligarh University (A.M.U), who is suspended by the AMU for being caught in a sting operation by a local news channel, in which he was in his bed with a rickshaw puller in intimacy position. And he was later suspended on the ground of being homosexual and doing gross conduct (According to the university rules) in the premises of AMU and later he has to evacuate his apartment given by University.
Professor Siras (Played by Manoj Bajpai) is a normal person living his life teaching Marathi literature to kids, sipping alcohol at the end of the day and listening to Lata Mangeshkar songs to ignore is loneliness.
He is a respectable professor and has won Language Literature award By Maharshtra Government in the year 2002 and is the only Marathi language professor in whole university campus and also the chairmen of Language board in A.M.U.
Despite being playing the character of a homosexual professor -Manoj Bajpai never intimate and pretend being a "gay" unlike many other queer characters in many bollywood movies. Writer, director and the actor himself tried not to stereotype the character of a gay person like everyone do. After watching professor Siras on screen, everyone will understand that being gay doesn't mean you have to be gentle and sensitive in nature, or subtle in your gesture and physical appearance. They are also normal human being like us, and it has nothing to do with their subtlety and sensitivity in gesture and body moment.
Manoj Bajpai portrayed Professor Siras as a person: Who loves poetry and literature, and is also a father like figure for example: (When he said the dialogue- "You are a good boy Deepu") in his last conversation with Deepu (Rajkumar Rao) on phone after winning the case. Writer has portrayed the characters and plot of movie so subtle and sweet that it evokes a sense of agony and anguish after watching the struggle of a homosexual person in a city like Aligarh – where in a country like India; having physical intimacy with a same sex in still penalized and considered as criminal in nature and one has to go through several difficulties because of that. RajKumar Rao Character was also very powerful. He played the role of Journalist (Dipu Sebastian) who followed the story of Professor Siras, and evoke the investigation by himself and talk to Siras about the incident happened that night. Rajkumar played Deepus role in his own way- like he use to do.
The connection between Deepu(Rajkumar Rao) and Professor sirus(Manoj Bajpayi) is must to see. The written part of the characters are so originally written it look so mumble-core(as it is a real story, based on true incidents)
The film illustrates the story of 'Siras' so eloquently to audience that one needs to look into the matter and talk about it.
My reason for crying after finishing the movie is because I was moved by the character of the story and relation between a normal reporter and the Professor. Both are unknown but yet compassionate about the discrimination done to a homosexual person. The narrative aspect of the movie moved me so emotionally- that I cried after watching film and it took me into a feeling of despair and anger, because that's a hard reality and truth which prevail in my country, which need to be addressed to end the discrimination.
One needs to watch this film- which raised such a sensitive issue. The issue of homosexuality is still considered as a taboo and an institution like AMU – who produced many scholars. Intellect and PhD holders: considered this topic as unethical and make one life hell by their self moral policing.
One needs to watch this film to understand the pain and sufferings of a community, who suffer these miseries of inequality and discrimination on day to day basis.
Director Hansal Mehta and Script writer Apurva M Asrani has addressed and raised this issue in public forum by making such a beautiful and remarkable film with talented leads like Manoj Bajpai and Raj Kumar Rao. Film which shines with authenticity and emotional heft, which leaves you thinking, and which says something we should all listen to, especially in these times when it has become more imperative than ever before: we can be different, but we are us. It moved me; so it will do to you.
Professor Siras (Played by Manoj Bajpai) is a normal person living his life teaching Marathi literature to kids, sipping alcohol at the end of the day and listening to Lata Mangeshkar songs to ignore is loneliness.
He is a respectable professor and has won Language Literature award By Maharshtra Government in the year 2002 and is the only Marathi language professor in whole university campus and also the chairmen of Language board in A.M.U.
Despite being playing the character of a homosexual professor -Manoj Bajpai never intimate and pretend being a "gay" unlike many other queer characters in many bollywood movies. Writer, director and the actor himself tried not to stereotype the character of a gay person like everyone do. After watching professor Siras on screen, everyone will understand that being gay doesn't mean you have to be gentle and sensitive in nature, or subtle in your gesture and physical appearance. They are also normal human being like us, and it has nothing to do with their subtlety and sensitivity in gesture and body moment.
Manoj Bajpai portrayed Professor Siras as a person: Who loves poetry and literature, and is also a father like figure for example: (When he said the dialogue- "You are a good boy Deepu") in his last conversation with Deepu (Rajkumar Rao) on phone after winning the case. Writer has portrayed the characters and plot of movie so subtle and sweet that it evokes a sense of agony and anguish after watching the struggle of a homosexual person in a city like Aligarh – where in a country like India; having physical intimacy with a same sex in still penalized and considered as criminal in nature and one has to go through several difficulties because of that. RajKumar Rao Character was also very powerful. He played the role of Journalist (Dipu Sebastian) who followed the story of Professor Siras, and evoke the investigation by himself and talk to Siras about the incident happened that night. Rajkumar played Deepus role in his own way- like he use to do.
The connection between Deepu(Rajkumar Rao) and Professor sirus(Manoj Bajpayi) is must to see. The written part of the characters are so originally written it look so mumble-core(as it is a real story, based on true incidents)
The film illustrates the story of 'Siras' so eloquently to audience that one needs to look into the matter and talk about it.
My reason for crying after finishing the movie is because I was moved by the character of the story and relation between a normal reporter and the Professor. Both are unknown but yet compassionate about the discrimination done to a homosexual person. The narrative aspect of the movie moved me so emotionally- that I cried after watching film and it took me into a feeling of despair and anger, because that's a hard reality and truth which prevail in my country, which need to be addressed to end the discrimination.
One needs to watch this film- which raised such a sensitive issue. The issue of homosexuality is still considered as a taboo and an institution like AMU – who produced many scholars. Intellect and PhD holders: considered this topic as unethical and make one life hell by their self moral policing.
One needs to watch this film to understand the pain and sufferings of a community, who suffer these miseries of inequality and discrimination on day to day basis.
Director Hansal Mehta and Script writer Apurva M Asrani has addressed and raised this issue in public forum by making such a beautiful and remarkable film with talented leads like Manoj Bajpai and Raj Kumar Rao. Film which shines with authenticity and emotional heft, which leaves you thinking, and which says something we should all listen to, especially in these times when it has become more imperative than ever before: we can be different, but we are us. It moved me; so it will do to you.