Indian drag film, banned at home, premieres in U.K.

The Hindi film The Pink Mirror (Gulabi Aaina), denied a certificate by the Indian Censor Board because it deals with drag queens, had its U.K. premiere Thursday in Manchester, reports BBC News. Although the film has screened at more than 30 film festivals around the world, Indian authorities have banned it in its country of origin because of its gay content. "The Censor Board has refused to give it a certificate--not even an adult certificate--because they consider it full of obscenity and vulgarity," said director Sridhar Rangayan to BBC News Online. The 40-minute film deals with two drag queens competing with a Western-influenced gay teen for the affections of a handsome young man. "I felt these characters were not portrayed at all in any cinema in India," said Rangayan. "They needed to be given a voice without being ridiculed." Mirror also addresses the threat of HIV/AIDS to India's gay population. Rangayan says he hopes to make six more shorts about gays in India, which he plans to release as an omnibus title, Rainbow Stories.