Cinema should push towards truth and not compromise, believes filmmaker Onir

Mona

The world is made of two kinds of people—ones who in the face of adversity change course and take the road more travelled; others who get back at challenges with double the passion ensuring they make new roads. Trust director, producer and writer Onir to fall in the second category. Recently, his film script inspired by a real person got rejected by the Indian Army. Onir is giving it a second try while also working on not one, but two scripts – a ‘gay’ love story tentatively called Sid, which he wants to start shooting in April, and a web series based on Pulwama blast set in Kashmir.

We catch him penning down his biography, precisely at the point when he was writing about his connection with Kashmir, but that for later; the rejected script first! As the issue made it to the Lok Sabha, Onir is baffled how a story inspired by a real Army officer, whose interviews are published and aired on TV, demean the Indian Army’s image and raise a security concern. “I have written to the Defence Secretary of India to know how the film goes against Indian Army. Stories of Army men falling in love with Kashmiri people have been shown before – Yahaan being one,” he says. It frustrates Onir that there is no established body where he can discuss the concerns. “If there is something wrong, I am ready to change the basics; if setting it in Kashmir is an issue, I will take it someplace else.”

Strong voice

Even when homosexuality was a crime in India, it didn’t stop Onir from making films like My Brother Nikhil or I Am. In fact, the latter won him a National Award. With Film Certification Board in place, Onir feels that should be all. “Our Army has a very important job, they must continue to do that. And let Film Certification Board take a call after I have made the film.” He fails to understand how someone who probably has no idea about his artistic expression takes a call, “I treat my characters sensitively and with utmost dignity.”

While LGBTQI+ issues have come into Hindi film industry, Onir considers these as baby steps. “Hollywood films like Power of Dog that bagged maximum Oscar nominations and Moonlight are cheered in India, but for our cinema we still want to have it as comedy.” Lots of young people reach out to Onir, who is openly gay, on acceptability, “I tell them two things – first focus on your career. When you are economically independent, share your truth, if the family supports good or life isn’t over. Those who cannot accept you are hardly your family. Find your new family who accept your truth.”

Write path

Penning his biography, due to be published by Penguin, Onir also wonders about his connection with Kashmir. “I was born and brought up in Bhutan, so I guess there is natural affinity with the Himalayas.” Also, there is so much sorrow in Kashmir, so many sad stories and so many truths, which draw him, “I want to listen to all these stories, finds the truth and make my best efforts to bring peace to Kashmir, where I have found so much love and warmth,” says the director, who is learning Kashmiri, and is so much into it that now his Hindi has taken a Kashmiri tone!

“Cinema should push towards courage and truth, not compromise,” believes Onir. And, he continues walking on that path!