Brokeback Mountain vs My Brother Nikhil


That was really a long break from blogging...Blogging has still not become my second nature though, what is essentially required for blogging is my most basic instinct - thinking.

I saw Brokeback Mountain a couple of days back.I shall not say that I enjoyed it very much. There was nothing great about the direction, the screenplay or the casting. However the photography and the background score was very good. It is a period film. 1960s. About two gay men. They were in love with each other. It is 'their love story' and it remained so and left me completely uninvolved as an audience. Interestingly, thinking about it I realized that as a film, of essentially the same category, My Brother Nikhil was such a superior quality movie. It is not just about direction. Ang Lee is versatile and talented. I have to give him that. My Brother Nikhil was a greater love story told even better.

The dynamics of the relationship in My Brother Nikhil was so romantic. It not only dealt with the sensitive issue of 'gay love' in the margins while mainly focussing on Nikhil - the HIV affected sportsperson, it also dealt beautifully with relationships. In Brokeback Mountain none of the main characters had any affectionate relationship with anyone apart from the two of them.

In Brokeback Mountain the main characters were pretty boring. Ordinary - yes but that is not why I call them 'boring'. The film did not quite show any respectable facet of these characters that will make them endearing. In My Brother Nikhil, you would want to love the couples even as individuals. They are portrayed as people one can love effortlessly.

What is then my thesis ? If you are capable of loving, then it does not restrain you or limit you. It allows you to love more. Love did nothing wonderful to the lives of Jake and Heath but love made Nikhil strong as he fought with AIDS and Nigel ( Purab Kohli ) found his vocation in social work.

Homosexuality is also about love, and My Brother Nikhil played it out so beautifully that Brokeback Mountain recedes to the background, when a comparison is drawn.

Would like to end on this note -

Dharitri - What would you do if you knew your son was gay ?
Friend - Be more protective I guess.
Dharitri - How beautiful ( in thoughts)

"The human voice can never reach the distance that is covered by the still small voice of conscience. " - Gandhi


As I was chatting with a friend yesterday, I wished him good night..He said "it is morning here"..I am sure this a common occurrence. But what struck me later on is how I responded to that. I told him, "I know" - which is a fact, and then " my parents live in India "....I mean, what did I ever want to mean by that ? I think it is too complex. But I guess because I am far away from India (physically) I try to find out ways of belonging to India even more closely. By talking about patriotism more, talking about India's problems more, posting comments on news websites more -- it is almost sad how I try to 'belong' there. I have never followed Indian news as closely as I do it now. I agree with Gandhi that it is not my 'voice' but my conscience that can do the magic but I am still a petty mortal. I am aware that I belong there. I am positive. Strange !! ..What distance does to people ? And - I shall rest my case here.

"The sky is blue
The grass is green
My love is true and shall
always be with you...."


A lot has been written about women and love. I do not know the reason behind such a construct but I think it is difficult to prove or refute the veracity of such a statement. There is this one that goes - For men love is part of his life, for women it is her entire existence. I mean, what can this mean? Then again, it can mean so many diffferent things, and maybe not all nonsensical after all. Striking however at the roots of universal acceptance of such statements are figures like 'Devdas'.( I apologise for my ignorance - no other example is coming to my mind). That makes me wonder, that gender is not important, the main concern is LOVE. Either you can use your mental abilities and be intelligent OR you can fall in love and go with the flow. (Yes, you got it right.It is an either or situation.If you are in love you cannot act smart).Most people opt for the latter when the circumstances arise. So now an obvious question will be, is everyone who has been/is in love doomed to perdition ? NO. Because, though the object of affection ( referring to human beings ) might be acquired for a temporary time or for keep sake or not be acquired at all, the LOVE ( with all its eccentricities) detaches itself from object of affection.So the soul gets saved. What then appears to be love is familiarity, which is not all that bad.