Director: Onir
Rating: ***
One obvious sign of evolution in Bollywood would be the unconventional relationships films have begun to portray and the maturity and subtlety with which they're handled. My Brother Nikhil tackles homosexuality without treating it as an ugly joke, a dirty alliance or an aberration. The gay relationship here is not designed to shock the audience or make them feel queasy but is so "normal" that the two lovers seem just like any other couple: intimate yet jealous and insecure, happy but quarrelling, sharing and facing up to an imminent loss. It's the love and faith that matters whether it is man-woman, man-man or woman-woman. My Brother Nikhil may not be as nuanced and profound as Wong Kar Wai's Happy Together but has honest creative ambitions that make it very touching.
Then there's the other bond: a sibling love which goes beyond the silly behen-bhai rakhi songs....
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