MOVIES

MOVIES Could Funny Boy be Canada’s answer to the Oscars?

Deepa Mehta’s film about queer brown love in Sri Lanka demonstrates how far she’s come as a director N early 25 years ago, Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta released Fire, a film that proved as incandescent as its name. When by Sirish Rao it hit the screens in her motherland, India, it would be the first time a mainstream film explored and presented homosexual love: two sisters-in-law (played by noted actors Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das) in a traditional Delhi household fall in love with each other.

Fire took on a subject so taboo that it resulted in a death threat for Mehta and violent protests and vandalism at cinema halls where it was showing. After all, few things are more threatening to the patriarchy than women saying they don’t need men. It also was a major box-office success, spurring a civil movement in support of queer rights and free speech, with men and women holding candlelight protests in front of cinema halls and insisting the film continue to be screened.

At about the same time, just over 25 years ago, another Canadian of South Asian origin—Sri Lanka–born novelist Brandon Ingram (left) plays Arjie and Rehan Mudannayake plays Shehan in Deepa Mehta’s Funny Boy, which will be released on Netflix December 10. Shyam Selvadurai—released his evocative coming-of-age novel Funny Boy, about Deepa Mehta: What can I say? In a way, all people like Agam Darshi from Vancouver what was amazing is that the overwhelmgrowing up gay in Sri Lanka during the of my films are about being brown. It start- and Ali Kazmi from Toronto playing ma- ing thing they felt was the power of seeing Tamil-Sinhalese conflict, one of that coun- ed from childhood in India, where there’s jor roles. How has the Sri Lankan reaction themselves on-screen. Their lives, their try’s most turbulent and deadly periods. plenty of shadism. People would look at me been to the film? history, their beloved, violent land. It, too, was a rarity, questioning brown as a young girl and say, “Oh, she’s a bit too I’ve had people in the Sri Lankan diasmasculinity and making a space for brown brown—who’ll marry her? Poor thing”. DM: First of all, I’m not pretending for a pora say how it’s the story of their own life. queer love. It went on to win a “Lammy” See how much is packed into that sen- minute that I’m Sri Lankan. But I think There’s a deep personal resonance. And, (as the Lambda Literary Award for gay fic- tence? It’s about our colonial masters and it’s really, really important that this wasn’t you know, that personal resonance is also tion is called). our desire to emulate them, to be them in made by a white person, who more often for others who are not Sri Lankan—people

In October, fans of Mehta and Selvadu- every way. What a legacy… But in terms of than not get to be the storytellers. It wasn’t from Palestine and Egypt who’ve said rai were delighted to see an announcement the narrative, for me, whether it was Fire so long ago that the parts of brown people that they know what it feels like to leave a from another path breaker, Ava DuVernay, or Earth, it is always about what do you do were played by white people—this is not homeland behind about which they have whose incredible directorial work includes with the oppression of thought? What do Alec Guinness in Passage to India in mixed emotions. To come to Canada and the films 13th and Selma. DuVernay tweet- you do with the repression of a fact? Why brownface. find their sexual identity but give up their ed that her distribution house, Array, was don’t we talk about things? This film was a project where some of us cultural identity. set to release Mehta’s latest film, Funny In terms of Funny Boy, and my work, who are not Sri Lankan are helping to tell Boy, on Netflix on December 10: “When well, I just feel it’s about time we owned a Sri Lankan story. A story that because it SR: Funny Boy is essentially a Bildungsyou get to distribute the latest feature film our narrative. For too long, South Asia is deeply local becomes a universal one. So roman about Arjie, who is coming to from one of your cinematic heroes, it is a has been a backdrop for the western the non–Sri Lankan actors did their best to terms with his sexuality at the same time good day. Wow. An honor. A dream.” gaze—something exotic out of a tourist learn Tamil and Sinhala for their roles. It’s he is becoming aware of the political and

Mehta spoke from New Delhi, where she brochure (when it’s not about the slums) not always perfectly spoken, but imagine ethnic divisions in his country. The people went to be with her inspirational 95-year- or it’s all about Bollywood and yoga. And how ridiculous if everyone spoke in Eng- who make any sort of space for him at all old mother, who has had to suspend her you know what these narratives do: they lish, as often happens when you make a are rebellious women: his mother and his regular game of bridge with her friends be- reduce us to preconceptions. film for a global audience? aunt. And the people who you centre in cause of the pandemic. What follows is an I’m tired of that, I’ve always wanted to I’m proud of the fact that 50 percent of the film are usually the ones who have to excerpt of the conversation. show what we are also about—which is com- this film is not in English. We took a lot of hide or are actively silenced: queer folks plexity. I don’t want to be denied my history, advice and guidance along the way, from and rebellious women. Sirish Rao: Deepa, every time I see a film which is that of a complex being, and, yes, local writers, speech guides. And once the released on this side of the planet that fea- sometimes that history is devastating. It took film was done, I decided the first audience DM: I’m so glad you saw that! Yes, it’s about tures a cast comprised almost entirely of me a while (and a lot of people of my genera- should be Sri Lankans. the people who are silenced. But it’s also brown people, I realize how rare that is. tion certainly feel it) to break free of the need So we hosted underground screenings about strong, compassionate women. What And, of course, it [Funny Boy] is set in Sri to speak to the white gaze. in the homes of the actors, and such a huge a power compassion can be! Arjie’s Aunty Lanka, a part of the world that gets very lit- cross-section of people came. There were Radha (played by Agam Darshi) is amazing. tle representation, and it’s a story of brown SR: In many ways this is also a Canadian Tamils, Sinhalese, Burghers, young, old, Someone saw the film and said, “Everyone queer love. Isn’t it odd that in 2020, even representation of these worlds is a rarity? story—both you and Shyam are celebrated Canadian artists. It’s also great to see human-rights activists, LGBTQ activists, cricketers, grandmothers, students. And needs an Aunty Radha in their life”. And I want one too! I want an Aunty Radha.” g