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Woman Up | Shonali Bose on coming out as bisexual: I am genuinely at ease with both men and women
Shonali Bose, known for films like Amy, Margarita With A Straw and Sky Is Pink, gets in a candid conversation with Pinkvilla.
Shonali Bose made her directorial debut with the 2005 drama, Amu and followed it up with two films, Margarita With A Straw and The Sky Is Pink. Her work left a mark at multiple film festivals across the globe and today, she is among the most respected directors of Hindi film industry. With Woman’s Day round the corner, Pinkvilla got in conversation with the top achievers from the industry, and Shonali opened up about the 5 stereotypical M’s of being a Mahila, as also shared some experience unique to her being a woman.
The filmmaker also opened up how she brings in her personal experience to all her stories and that’s how the element of bisexuality came into the character arc of Kalki Koechlin from Margarita With A Straw. “I was putting my own youth into the character. I was in Miranda House College and we didn’t have gay education, no one was taught about this. We thought, we are all heterosexual and didn’t think if there was even an option to not be a heterosexual,” she shares adding further that, when she happened to meet a girl named Sheral, who had come to India on an education program that she discovered her bisexuality.
“Six months of being with her and we realized being in love. And it was different from being best friend as if our bodies touched, there was an electricity that went through the body. We recognized and acknowledged it, but were scared to tell even our woman friends. I hope, the youth today don’t have that shame and have more courage to come out,” she says, and adds, “I know I am bisexual because before, I had a boyfriend and it felt very natural to me, then a girlfriend too before I finally got married to a man. After my marriage ended, I was again with a girl followed by a man. So, I do know that there is a thing like bisexuality and I am genuinely at ease with both men and women,” she concludes.
To know more about the discussion with Shonali about breaking stereotypes, check out the video below:
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