The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has a notorious history of serving as a roadblock when it comes to Indian queer cinema. The most recent example of censure was Malayalam film Ka Bodyscapes, which the Censor Board under Pahlaj Nahlani denied certification till it was directed by the Kerala High Court to do so, albeit conditionally. But under Prasoon Joshi, it seems like CBFC has gone back to certifying films rather than censoring them. The film certification body just cleared a gay Indian coming-out movie with ‘U/A’ certificate.
A screengrab of Evening Shadows
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The film’s director Sridhar Rangayan told Indiatimes that the CBFC members were contemplating giving the film an ‘A’ certificate. Rangayan said,
“But I reasoned that mine is a mainstream Indian film, not urban multiplex or a niche documentary targeting the intelligentsia. And it is important for it to have a wider TV and theatrical release, reach out to families, as the attempt is to change mindsets.”
Sridhar Rangayan has directed many award-winning movies including The Pink Mirror, Yours Emotionally, 68 Pages, Purple Skies, Project Bolo and National Award-winning Breaking Free.
What is Evening Shadows about?
The Sridhar Rangayan-directorial is a story about mother-son bond in a conservative Tam-Brahm family in South India. The movie portrays how the relationship evolves when the son, who is pushed into an early marriage by his father, comes out to his mother and tells her that he is in a relationship with a man. The film is also about the mother’s dilemma as she is torn between personal beliefs and social morality.
It stars Ananth Mahadevan, Mona Ambegaonkar and Devansh Doshi.
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Check out the trailer:
Source – Indiatimes
