Homosexuality is normal, kudos to Kapoor & Sons for showing this

Let's face it, watching Kapoor & Sons was painful because the decibel level of shouting could do serious harm to your ear drums. Yes, this reflects a noise-filled India, but after a while, the screaming match that erupts between the completely dysfunctional Kapoors is cringe-making, as they run totally out of control.

In that sense, it plays to our stereotypical expectation of a henpecked, under-ambitious husband trying to live with an over-ambitious wife, who cannot tolerate the fact that they are the poor end of the family. This situation is made worse by the fact that the parents openly discriminate between their two sons, preferring the elder, leading the younger to complain bitterly (and rightly so!) that he had not received the same kind of affection from his parents.

Also read: My name is Malhotra and I'm not a homosexual

Of course tension is further escalated because the two brothers are determinedly alike where their interests are concerned and sibling rivalry becomes extreme because they are both authors. One is rich, however, and the other is poor. One is successful, the other barely can make do with what he has. And then matters get worse when they meet the same girl and appear to be attracted to her as well.

And yes, they are both working on a new novel: the only difference is that one of them has been working and the other is still trying to get himself to complete it. One has writer's block and the other thinks of himself as a failure.

The reunion is happening because their grandfather is unwell, and both have been summoned to his bedside.

Given this history of dispute and confrontation, there is little to be done except wait till the end of the film for the fight to be sorted out. But even that decision is ultimately taken over by the shrillness of the ending.

Also read: Kapoor & Sons is the family drama Bollywood needed

And yet this film is worth viewing because it is the first time that we see someone who is actually "gay" come out and confess his homosexuality.

This has rarely happened in mainstream Indian cinema, and for many of us, this is even more interesting because the actor playing this difficult role is Fawad Khan, a Pakistani. Would a mainstream Indian actor have been able to play this role without worrying about his "image", one wonders.

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In the past, films have used insinuation, innuendos, gestures to make homosexuality either a joke or a cruel one night stand that becomes a nightmare. This is the first film in which the gay individual is shown as normal, as someone who is part of the social fabric, and not something apart.

One should make this film a "must see" for today's generation. And also for older people, who would strive to ignore the problem altogether. As the young man's mother decides to accept her son's homosexuality, others in the audience too might reconsider their stance.