Having Companionship Is A Universal Desire: Onir On Queer Love

Recently, film director Onir screened his film, PINE CONE, at the 14th edition of the Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, said to be South Asia’s biggest queer film festival. PINE CONE is not just a film, it has a lot to do with the life of the director and co-writer Onir himself. 

Onir, in conversation with SheThePeople, unveils his journey of making the film PINE CONE, what went behind directing the film, and his view on queer love, desire, and passion. Onir first sheds light on the storyline of the film. He revealed that the film navigates queer love story and is loosely based on his memoir- I Am Onir, and I Am Gay. 

Onir said, "PINE CONE is a semi-biographical film that narrates the journey of a gay man from the age of 18 to 38 as he steers through his career, love, and changing scenario of LGBTQ rights in India. The film starts in 1999 in Sikkim, when the first gay pride organised in Kolkata, moves to Bombay in 2009 when Delhi HC decriminalised homosexuality, and concludes in Kochi in 2019." Further added, "PINE CONE symbolises fertility, but for this film, it is a token that brings back memories of first love; it is a memento given by the character's first love."

Film Director Onir On PINE CONE

PINE CONE is distinct from Onir's other films, such as My Brother Nikhil and I Am, which also converse on the subject of LGBTQA+. PINE CONE sketches queer love story that makes it different from other takes on the queer community. Onir pointed out that the film celebrates queer gaze; it doesn’t look at queer love story from a heteronormative perspective, just a journey of a person and all the internal challenges as he navigates through life.

Onir also stated the film is different from other Bollywood narratives, as the film is not based on acceptance from society. The central character celebrates his life and queer desires in a very uncensored way that looks at passion and intensity instead of addressing how society looks at him. Onir added, "Desire is an important part of the film, plus the main lead is out and proud queer, so the film becomes more special."

Speaking about Cinema on queer themes, he said, "Cinema does positive and negative. Many portrayals in Cinema have been problematic in a certain way, but Cinema works on what is more profitable, what will make quick money. However, things are changing, but it will take time. 

Recent films based on queer are more about acceptance and creating awareness. Onir is not worried about bringing a queer love story, even if it makes the audience uncomfortable. According to him, the straight world might not be ready, but queer lives cannot depend on how hetero people want us to live. We are living our lives having intimacy and desires. We are even asking SC for marriage equality. So, it is high time the straight world gets used to the fact that beyond them are other people who can have desires, love and live their lives as they want.  

Further, Onir added, "This film is not taking baby steps towards acceptance as my life is not a baby step. It is celebrating queer lives without worrying about who is going to judge. It is the viewers' shortcoming, so for their shortcomings, I can’t make my life suffer. The film is for my community, and yes, we can be out there. We happily watch straight people making love; then, they can also deal with queer love. 

SheThePeople asked Onir his take on love, intimacy, desires, and how does he position intimacy when it comes to love? 

Onir said, "Intimacy and desires are important aspects of any love. It becomes part of sharing your life, dreams with someone. Usually, intimacy is attached to lust, but it is beyond fun; it is about affection, trust, comfort, and companionship. One of the characters says it is beautiful to wake up in the morning next to your lover. The longing to wake up with someone, and have companionship, is a universal desire, and this film addresses all desires in queers. 

Onir has directed a series of films that dealt with issues that are thought-provoking and, through his direction, shed light on issues of single mothers and same-sex relationships. Onir triggered this conversation to tell an untold story. 

Onir said, "I don’t want to tell stories that other people are telling, and that is what drives me. Not many know I was the early one to make a film about the displacement of Kashmiri Pandits in I Am in 2012. The film did not glorify any community; it addressed that it was a loss for everybody. People don’t talk about same-sex rights, but if you want to have a better society, better life, talk about stories that will make people think and want change, and that is what I feel like doing."  

Onir, on his film director journey, was not allowed to make a film titled We Are, which would have featured a gay army officer. Speaking about it, Onir said, "Politics is run mostly by illiterate people, whose agenda in life is not to empower and make a better society but how to get more votes using the worst form of division that happens with the queer community. If you see opposition to same-sex marriage in SC, the reasons given are absurd. They are constantly framing it to be a Western idea. But queerness was always part of our society, right from Shikhandi in Mahabharata, Lord Ayyappa down the south, or Krishna Beomes Mohini to marry Iravan. This is in our literature; I would call that gender fluidity. So, somehow we have regressed and celebrated what we are constantly denying." 

Touching on his personal life, Onir said, "I never had a coming out; I was always out. I come from a middle-class family- my parents, sisters, and brothers accepted me. With my friends, if they did not accept me, it was their loss; rather, I might be with people who do not discriminate against minorities and not just me. I saw equality growing up; both parents worked, cooked, and cleaned. My eldest sister is still the most important person in the family than all the sons."  

Concludingly, Onir said, "Things are changing, but it will take more time. The world can’t change overnight, but each one can make the world around them better. You don’t need to change everybody; if you change as a better person immediately, you make the lives of so many people better. As far as my life is concerned, the road is bumpy ahead; sometimes it needs repairs, sometimes reversing; that’s what life is about. I live my life as I want to as much as I can." 

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