India’s answer to ‘Brokeback Mountain’?

His elder brother Anil Sharma may have made period films like GADAR and VEER, but Kapil Sharma has penned a truly hatke film called DONNO Y… NA JAANE KYON?, which deals with the love affair of a gay couple, portrayed by Kapil himself and Yuvraaj Parashar. Co-starring hi-profile veterans like Zeenat Aman, Helen, Mahabanoo Mody Kotwal and Kabir Bedi, the film is directed by Sanjay Sharma, elder to Kapil, but younger to Anil Sharma. While DOSTANA wasn’t a ‘gay film’ as such, DONNO Y… NA JAANE KYON? promises to be India’s answer to BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. That’s a tall claim, isn’t it? "We aren’t comparing the two films. All we are saying is that like BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, DONNO Y… NA JAANE KYON? also talks of two men who love each other unconditionally," Kapil clarifies. What was elder brother Anil Sharma’s reaction when he heard the plot? "He was surprised, but when he went through the entire screenplay, he felt that it had a strong undercurrent of emotions and boasted of a story that wasn’t told on the Hindi screen before. He encouraged me to go ahead and realize my dream," Kapil says. The next thing was, Kapil, co-star Yuvraaj and director-brother Sanjay Sharma started attending gay parties to get the feel. "We learnt a lot by merely observing people. DONNO Y… NA JAANE KYON? doesn’t make fun or mocks at gays. Instead, it’s a serious film, it makes you feel for the lovers, who have a lot of commitments in real life," Sanjay and Kapil echo. Is the Indian audience ready for a film that talks of gay relationships? "Of course, it is! Like I said, this is not a frivolous take on homosexual relationships. It’s a film that makes you think. I think it mirrors life and would find flavour with the audience," Kapil adds. DONNO Y… NA JAANE KYON? is in the final stages of post-production and is slated for release in July/August this year.