There are signs all over. Hindi cinema, which earlier suffered from the confused morality of an adolescent, is slowly growing up, and showing symptoms of embracing sex with all its realities. Though there’s still a long way to go, we are pleased to spot some interesting trends in the ever changing narrative of sex and sexuality in our cinema.
1. Kissing is the New Hugging
There was a time when two flowers touching meant desire at work. Now, only when saliva is exchanged in full public view, are we convinced that something is happening. Our actors too, don’t shy away from doing some lip job.
2. Virginity is so Passé
The father daughter relationship in Piku was such a refreshing change! Amitabh Bachchan was nothing like the usual filmi dad, who judges every guy his daughter would date. Instead, he was completely accepting of Deepika Padukone’s ‘sleeping partner’ spending every other night in her bedroom. Not just that, he openly discussed her virginity, or the lack thereof with potential boyfriends. Now that’s evolution!
3. Dirty Talk Much?
Remember the Deluxe Nirodh advertisements that confused the hell out of us in our growing up years? Well, now we have men and women openly talking about it in our films. And sex toys too! Remember that classic scene in the sex toy shop from the Kangana starrer Queen? Or the one where her friend throws a condom in her bag, just before stepping out to party.
4. Do the Rex
For a politically correct and utterly boring industry of stars, Ranveer Singh seems like the perfect antidote. Apart from his brazenly fun persona, he earned special brownie points for endorsing a condom brand, that too in the most fun way possible.
5. Porn to Star
You can debate on her acting ability or her appeal among the masses, but the fact that Sunny Leone has become a legitimate star in our cinema is definitely an interesting milestone.
6. Horrex
Though it was Ramsay brothers who mixed horror with sex with great glee, they mostly remained the B movie specialists. But Ekta Kapoor’s rebranding of the genre with the Ragini MMS series has brought new cheers among those who are looking for thrills, both for the mind and the body.
7. Pun Intended
When Grand Masti became the first adult comedy to enter the elite 100 crore club, we knew the tide is turning. With double entendres galore, hinting at the forbidden with a wink, there are many adult comedies in the making- Mastizaade, Kya Kool Hai Hum 3 and Great Grand Masti.
8. Alternate Sexualities
While Bombay Talkies saw a mainstream director like Karan Johar address homosexuality, and got two men to kiss, Shonali Bose’s Margarita With a Straw went a step ahead, and made us view bisexuality in a new light with her differently-abled protagonist.
9. Bikinis? No Big Deal!
Stars wearing bikini for a film used to make headlines just a few years ago, but now it hardly raises an eyebrow.
10. Female Gaze
Female gaze is slowly gaining momentum in our cinema. From the well oiled chest to the salt water drenched derriere, our leading men are no longer obscure objects of desire, but a commodity to lust at.
11. Hail Erotica
Forget the adult tag for itsy-bitsy scenes, this is a first-of-its-kind exercise in tinsel town. Actors have been made to sign a ‘nudity clause’ so that there’s no reluctance in shooting explicit scenes. Earlier titled XES (that’s the mirror image of the word ‘Sex’), XXX will be a portmanteau film, with sex as its core theme. You know what to expect, don’t you?
(The writer is a journalist and a screenwriter who believes in the insanity of words, in print or otherwise. His Twitter handle is: @RanjibMazumder)
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