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So we have huge influence of the Indian film industry in my homeland. I mean a very heavy influence and following. Before we learn the names of our family members, we learn the names of Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Shahrukh Khan among others.

But how does it all really fit in here? Because now that India has got a kick-start towards a hopefully enlightened and bright LGBT future, what kind of gay-related films are made in India will also influence us, the Pakistani society. The Delhi High Court’s decision got us all thinking about gay people, who were known to be existent but not acknowledged or not really thought about. Behind the scenes of a famous morning television talk-show I came to know about the host wanting to know the opinion of an elderly guest about the High Court’s decision. But alas! The man was a homophobe and refused to opine.

Dostana, the film, too got our countrymen worried, and at least for once gay people were discussed in media forums, though not really in a very positive light (with the exception of Dr.Shaheen Hayi, a psychiatrist who openly stated, on Hum television’s morning talk-show about the hormonal effects of  pregnancy on the child’s sexuality). I remember a worried good-Muslim-caller, calling into the Nadia Khan show, and trying to get through her opinion as to how could such vulgar films, such as Dostana, be made.

Personally, I don’t think there is anything wrong with depicting effeminate men on screen. But when you show only that side of our world-wide community, you are stereotyping us. And that is exactly what Bollywood films have been doing, which of course has been having its effect on Pakistani society too.

I remember discussing the Delhi High Court decision with a body guard of my neighborhood, and he was like ‘Yeah! So it should be like that’, which honestly struck me. But the discussion started from the pro-gay decision of the court. I do know it’s not happening any time soon but when a Bollywood star comes out, it is going to press people to accept that we do exist, something for which Karachi Gay parade came out, albeit only for once.

But even before Dostana, Fire and Girlfriend had got us all talking, albeit in a homophobic tone. So now I believe the pro-gay as well as gay producers and directors themselves need to focus on gay-themed movies that challenge long held stereotypical notions. In this respect, Indian society could be a great help to the Muslim Queer community if it also keeps in mind the problems of the Muslim gay world, as India’s largest religious minority group is that of Muslims, and as part of a secular democracy, Bollywood with the power of free expression could challenge the idiotic and inane arguments of the Mullahs. It will be risky and it is going to be an arduous task too, with serious consequences. Sorry, but I am not going to lie about this being an all hunky-dory business. However, neglecting the Muslim Queer community in a place where Muslims form the largest minority group isn’t going to work for any LGBT person in India or even other places. To eradicate homophobia, you have to challenge every homophobe, whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian or any other. That is also the business of Bollywood, possibly the strongest Indian medium that could spread the message of tolerance towards gay people. So my question is: Will any Madhur Bhandarkar or the likes of him take over the responsibility of challenging those religious moral police card holders using the medium of films, knowing that it might back-fire on their personal life?

The Indian LGBT community, activists and Bollywood must know that what they do affects the Pakistani society’s perceptions of homosexuality as well as other countries where Bollywood-culture is loved, which only puts a double responsibility on those in the industry to stop inserting that ‘gay joke’ showing us as caricatures for comical relief in pathetic films which have no chance of hitting the block-buster title.