Institute of Development Studies Kolkata (IDSK) screened filmmaker Debalina Majumder’s documentary Gay India Matrimony on Tuesday, March 21, at IDSK’s Salt Lake Campus. The event commenced with a brief introduction of Majumder and the film by Dr. Supurna Banerjee, assistant professor at the institute, followed by the screening and a Q&A session with the filmmaker.
Through its story, which revolves around three queer characters and features interviews with individuals who identify as queer and their family members, along with people in same-sex relationships, Gay India Matrimony critiques the concept of matrimony. The documentary discusses the stigmas, the pros and cons surrounding the concept of marriage and weddings in India, for both heterosexual and same-sex couples. The film, which is in Bengali with English subtitles and produced by Films Division India, was shot over a span of five years between 2013 and 2018. Majumdar has written the script and done the camera work for the film, along with directing it.
The screening was attended by academicians, gender right activists and cinephiles, and the documentary features opinions of noted names like gender rights activist and academician Gourab Ghosh, Jadavpur University professor Paromita Chakraborty, Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Dr. Saugata Bhaduri, among others.
During the question and answer session, Majumdar said, “The documentary revolves around how we see the concept of marriage. If we are critiquing it, it is after taking the experiences from several individuals.”
