When Kiran Met Karen : Master Piece or Just For Titillation?

It’s quite amusing if one takes a look at recent times Lezzy (lesbian) films with an Indian sub-context. Actually No. Let me rephrase this.

Watching the (only) two Lezzy films from mainstream Hindi cinema was an amusing experience, at least for me. I’m referring to Deepa Mehta’s Fire (1998), and blink-and-you-missed-it, Karan Razdan’s Girlfriend (2004). Of course, the two films differed widely in terms of storyline, direction, and other production aspects. Let’s not even go into difference in the acting department.

However the common thread between the two is this: Both films needed a reason for lesbianism. Homosexuality had to be explained and given a valid raison d’etre: the lead characters of both films were abused, sexually and emotionally, by members of the opposite sex, therefore they turned to other women for ‘solace’.

The latest entrant in the Desi lesbian film circuit is Manan Katohora, with When Kiran Met Karen (WKMK), with newbies Chriselle Almeida and Kelli Holsopple playing the respective lead characters. My inbox has been flooded with mails titled, subtitled and signed off with JMD (Jai Mata Di)-invoking PR for the film. If you are a member of those International filmy Yahoo! Groups you’ll know what I’m talking about.

For the dummies, however, here’s a brief on WKMK.

The plot revolves around a popular Bollywood actress, who comes to New York. At her hotel she organises for a press conference. This is where she meets a lesbian journalist. And the drama begins from here on.

Now the question is, whether the film will live up to the hype it has been creating, at least, in the American market. From whatever I have seen, this is what I think:

1. The good thing is the story line seems to deal with lesbianism as a normal thing (at least Karen is an out lesbian) and focuses on bi-racial relationships.

2. The acting doesn’t come across all that appealing. No offense, I understand it’s a first-time effort for most of the star cast and I also understand the director’s plight. He did have two ‘known’ faces, namely Perizaad Zorabian and Purva Bedi, bail out on him in the last minute. Hence Chriselle Almeida as Kiran.

3. The direction looked amateurish. But then a two-and-half-minute long promo video shouldn’t really be the judging platform either.

In an interview, Katohora mentions that the film is meant to bring out the nuances of coming out and the hypocrisy surrounding alternate sexuality. I quote:

“I think the movie will raise some good questions. How people have such shallow thinking. How we shouldn’t have a one track mind.”

Clearly the director has got his politics right, and, if we’re lucky, WKMK might just end up being a decent watch without too many stereotypes. All I hope is –

· That we allow the film to be screened in our local theatres

· That we don’t damn this film just because it doesn’t harp on the abala bharitya naari crap or turn out to be a semi-porn flick meant purely to titillate the (male) audience – something that Fire and Girlfriend, respectively, had done.

Here’s a look at one of the promotional music videos from the film