My Brother ... Nikhil (2006)

Yeh film sab log dekhna ki hain!

Forget everything you thought you knew about Indian cinema.

No matter where you live in the world, you need to see this film. Onir
has taken a potentially controversial story and put it in a context
that not only treats it with dignity and respect, but evaporates all of
the cultural, political, socio-economic and even geographical
boundaries that separate us. It would be easy to dismiss My Brother
Nikhil as a "gay film" or an "AIDS Awareness film", but while both of
those components are contained in the story, the movie is -- at its
core -- a family drama. The crisis in this case is HIV/AIDS, but it
could have just as easily been some other problem. AIDS is not the
point, homosexuality is not the point. The point of the film is the
impact of a tragic circumstance on a young man and his family.

Onir has managed to portray this drama in an even-handed manner that
imposes no judgements on the characters. Sanjay Suri -- in this
reviewer's estimation -- climbed several rungs of the credibility
ladder with his performance in the title role. Juhi Chawla sparkles as
Nikhil's sister Anamika, Victor Bannerjee and Lillete Dubey offer a
seamless portrayal of parents whose world has been turned upside down
and relative newcomer Purab Kholi shines as Nikhil's young lover.

In addition to being an "important" film, My Brother Nikhil is a
masterpiece of lighting, photography and music. Which is why I titled
this comment "Yeh film sab log dekhna ki hain!" (Everyone needs to see
this film!) July 23, 2007

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