Director Onir recently mentioned that most actors hesitate to play gay roles but readily accept roles as rapists and murderers. He also recalled pitching a gay version of Hamlet to a big star. Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, he praised Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das’s performances in Fire, saying that heterosexual actors are cautious in portraying intimacy in gay roles.
He said, “Heterosexual actors, when they do gay roles, are very tentative in their portrayal of intimacy. Especially male actors. Even if it’s a kiss, there’s no passion. They’re very reluctant. A lot of actors even tell me that they wouldn’t have a problem doing intimate scenes with women. It’s acting, you’re not supposed to enjoy it.”
He also said that actors fear playing queer roles on screen because of potential criticism. “They aren’t ashamed to play rapists, they aren’t ashamed to play murderers, but to play a beautiful gay person they’re afraid. Their mentality hasn’t evolved. If you look at Hollywood, the biggest actors have played queer characters,” he added.
When asked if he’d pitch a queer-themed film to stars like Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan, Onir recalled a funny incident. He once approached a big star with a gay version of Hamlet. He said, “When I see Mammootty play a gay man, I feel so proud, because at least the Kerala film industry is opening up. I remember a few years ago I had approached one of the big stars because I wanted to do a gay version of Hamlet. When I was narrating the story to him, he nearly fell off the sofa and asked, ‘How could you imagine I would be gay?’”
Onir wanted to make a biopic of the late queer filmmaker Riyad Wadia, with his family’s approval. However, he couldn’t find an actor for the role, as they either cited prior commitments or declined politely. Despite feeling overlooked, Onir emphasised that he hasn’t faced disrespect in the film industry.
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