Kaminey: Is Charlie gay? SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT - First Cut

Kaminey: Is Charlie gay? SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT

Priya Ramani - Monday, August 17, 2009 11:20 AM

None of the reviews had even a line about Charlie's sexuality. But I'm convinced that the bad boy avataar of Shahid in Vishal's Kaminey is gay. Maybe Vishal didn't tell Shahid about this. Maybe Charlie's a guy who hasn't figured out his sexuality yet. Maybe it's just Vishal's private angle. But clearly, Charlie has the serious hots for Mikhail in the film. And it's more than male bonding. From the start, they are clearly a couple in the film. Then there's all that rolling around in the rain before Mikhail gets shot. The references to Spiderman. The fact that they want to run away together after they get the money. Charlie's devastation when Mikhail dies. How Charlie reacts in the climax when he sees Mikhail's body in the jeep. And Charlie's final tribute to Mikhail of course. And then there's all that sexy topless guitar strumming.

You only see him with a woman twice in the film, both times are very random. Maybe that's Vishal's way of saying that more people than we realize are bisexual? Or that so many Indian gay men don't acknowledge their sexuality? That would make him Bollywood's first sexy gay bad guy.

Then again, I thought the song Namak Ishq Ka in Omkara was about oral sex.

Any thoughts on Charlie? 

 

 

 

 

 

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38 Comment

From Agasi

August 17, 2009 12:56 PM
Thank god I am not the only person who thought that way! You are right I dont think Shahid himself knew about it but to me it felt that way..may be we both have dirty minds

From king

August 17, 2009 1:28 PM
maybe... or he is really close to him... doesnt matter coz charlie is awesome!!

From always

August 17, 2009 1:44 PM
I am reading such comments everywhere on the net.. but i suppose its not a homo-erotic angle.. it has got more to do with the fact that Charlie really misses his brother.. he cud never get along with Guddu in his entire life and tht space was empty and Mikhail fits nicely into tht space... and he was not such a bad guy after all.. so its natural that the bond between Charlie and Mikhail was strong.. i think the obsession with the gay parade is going a bit too far :D

From sadmin

August 17, 2009 1:59 PM

Please note we are deleting all comments which contain abusive language. While we encourage dialogue, we will not tolerate personal attacks and abuse.

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From Anupam

August 17, 2009 2:11 PM
I always thought that it was more about brotherly love but yes sometimes one does feel that maybe it was more than that.Vishal has been influenced a great deal by Shakespeare and even if you look at some critics' interpretation of Othello, they feel that there was a homo-erotic angle between Othello and Iago.So who knows.Good observation! lol @ namak ishq ka!

From Priya Ramani

August 17, 2009 2:17 PM

agree king, charlie was truly awesome.

From INdra

August 17, 2009 2:52 PM
I strongly believe that Charlie was depicted as gay, very well done, subtle and nuanced. Also the film did in general play around a lot with sexuality and gendered roles: Guddu's prominent 'feminine' side, Sweety's sexual history and (in cultural terms, almost masculine) energy. Fantastic: bold, but not crude.

From Priya Ramani

August 17, 2009 3:04 PM

agree INdra

From shalini

August 17, 2009 3:16 PM
I do agree with you Priya. Was thinking of the underlying homo-erotic theme myself. Its not new for Hindi cinema though. Jai-Veeru being the classic example.Charlie's sexuality was revealed in a very subtle, implicit manner, yet without an attempt to be apologetic about it.Though they tried to tone it down or perhaps hint at a bisexual tendency by showing him dream about a girl and that sophia bit at the end. I think its mroe like he wasn't sure of his own sexual orientation and as you said, it was Vishal's hidden, private touch.

From Shikha

August 17, 2009 8:50 PM
I agree with the comment by 'always'. I think it was more about replacing a brother. Throughout the movie i never felt that a 'gay' interpretation could be made of the relationship shared by Charlie and Mikhail.

From Charlie

August 17, 2009 9:24 PM
Priya, With all masala in the movie you could just notice a gay angle. Yes I am gay however you are not more than a lesbian.

From Filmi Girl

August 17, 2009 9:43 PM
That's so funny because I definitely picked up hints of that in the film, too!! Plus, the blatant pandering to the gay male community with those shots of Charlie running topless!! Too funny!

From filmi person

August 18, 2009 12:15 AM
I think you guys are running a bit wild with your imagination..Mikhail always hanged around girls and also told Charlie.."shake the booty"...They were both straight and great buddies who enjoyed each others company. (male bonding) I can see both making it out together with a girl.. Either way, Charlie was so awesome that gay,straight or bi-sexual, he fits the perfect image of the bad and rugged guy. I still cant get over his mannerisms and his complete change-over. He truly delivered if not his best but probably his finest performance of his career which will be so hard to match up. Shahid will always now be remembered as Guddu/Charlie. Luv to see him play a serial killer or a pyscho.

From Priya Ramani

August 18, 2009 8:21 AM

Also, one more point i forgot. The best song in the movie is picturised on the two of them. Praise be Vishal.

From Kaminey

August 18, 2009 10:08 AM
filmiperson, me too would love to see Shahid play a psycho or killer, I think he would nail it. I was quite impressed with the way he handled Charlie. Never liked Shahid much but now I am getting to like him.

From ms

August 18, 2009 12:11 PM
hey, yes , namak ishq ka is about what you said it is.

From Rahul

August 18, 2009 4:25 PM
This Blog shows the ill mentality of not only the writer but the other gay thinkers as well.

From vivek

August 18, 2009 9:37 PM
Priya, I never miss my saturday copy of MINT Lounge and love to read you as the first columnist. When me and my wife were driving back home after watching "kaminey" - she popped up this thought to me " I think Charlie was gay"....I did think so for a while and told her that she had hangover of "dostana" . After I showed her this article of yours she has been jumping with pride. I am not sure if Charlie was gay or not but for sure he made me drool over his body as much as Sweety a.k.a Priyanka. All I can say is great directors like Vishal leave much more to audiences' perception and interpretation. Somebody famous once said " Movies are the gaze that a man looks at which makes him feel more comfortable with his desires"

From charan

August 19, 2009 10:01 AM
In one of the scenes of the movie, charlie imagine mikhail in place of his father's body on a stretcher..which made it amply clear that charlie considered mikhail as a person who filled the vaccuum left by his father/brother.... father-son / brother-brother bonding is very physical in nature in India... hugging etc... i think while attributing something to vishal's private touch might be giving him too much credit for something he didnt even think of...

From Durga

August 19, 2009 5:26 PM
Certainly gay but I have to confess that Charlie and Guddu left me cold...and the shots of the chawl were a let down. After the expanse of kutch in omkara this was boring. I loved charlie's trailer. Priyanka Chopra and Amole Gupte stole the show for me. Fuper.

From wierdo

August 19, 2009 10:07 PM
Charlie sees the himself in company of girls in dream, I think its enough to prove him non-gay (actually guys can feel this more easily..similarily in Vivek's comment where Vivek thought its normal but his WIFE didn't)...i really lol'ed over 'namak ishq ka' very interesting...

From UnsungPsalm

August 19, 2009 11:17 PM
Awww, now I'll have to watch the film JUST to see if I think you're right :) If yes, then that's awesome!

From aantel

August 20, 2009 10:21 AM
I keep asking myself that whenever I walk down any market in India. Just come back after a decade in the decadent but prudish (??) west where guys don't touch each other in public- at least not in daytime or on the street. Around gay bars maybe. Here I look around and there are guys with arms around each other, holding hands (and swinging them if you please) and generally touching each other quite guilelessly. Cultural closeness due to friendship or fraandship?

From aantel

August 20, 2009 10:24 AM
I keep asking myself that whenever I walk down any market in India. Just come back after a decade in the decadent but prudish (??) west where guys don't touch each other in public- at least not in daytime or on the street. Around gay bars maybe. Here I look around and there are guys with arms around each other, holding hands (and swinging them if you please) and generally touching each other quite guilelessly. Close due to friendship or fraandship? Yaari or Dosti BTW: I think Dostana got it wrong - they should have called it Yaarana, but prob could not due to b'wood history. I was told that (in lucknavi urdu) the word 'yaar' referred to gay friend, while dost was a platonic friend.

From Priya Ramani

August 20, 2009 5:59 PM

Vivek thank you and your wife rocks! Charan, Vishal is one of two Indian filmmakers with an imagination so I'm happy to give him the benefit of the doubt; Durga! Charlie was at least as hot as his camper; Unsung, report back after you see the film; aantel, charlie and mikhael have yaari and dosti.

From beyound words

August 20, 2009 7:09 PM
forget charlie...im still stuck on to namak ishq ka revelation, if only it was intended to be like that :P thats wat is the beauty of creativity, it enhances itself with each and every new interpretation.

From Spot the Rainbow - Ultrabrown

August 21, 2009 12:31 AM

Pingback from  Spot the Rainbow -  Ultrabrown

From wierdo

August 21, 2009 9:59 AM
'namak ishq ka' song writer is Gulzar....I don't think he he has such a dirty mind :-P

From Mahek

August 23, 2009 4:24 PM
Charlie is no SRK!!!! GET A LIFE PRIYA...U R SICK n also probably a SLAVE OF SRK!! U NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION!!

From annmaria

August 24, 2009 9:35 AM
I think, in that movie charlie is not a gay , if he would have been, then why the need of sophia in his dreams, he always dreamed to be a rich man having a sweet lady as his wife, so i think no questioning is required for his sexuality

From manu

August 25, 2009 10:05 AM
Quite an interesting observation.....but as annmaria said, what is it with chick fixation in his dream and in the last shoot of the movie ? Passing thought, I always felt like the third girl "Shaleen" in movie "Jane tu ya Jane na "(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaane_Tu..._Ya_Jaane_Na#Cast) was guy. But then again I am dead sure "Namak Ishq ka" is about oral sex apart from few other things.

From RK

August 30, 2009 9:00 PM
Charlie and Mikhael were most definitely a couple. All the signs were there, and I don't think it can be attributed to 'male bonding'. About why he has a woman in his dreams--those are general societal aspirations of money, fame, power and a person of the opposite sex by your side...a picture of success as recognised by society and which influence people too, no matter what their sexual orientation. Why do you think so many gay men marry women? Having Sophia in the end was more to please audiences, I think, so everyone would walk away thinking that all his dreams were fulfilled and that he does not end up alone. If the director meant him to be straight, he would have introduced some love interest early on and not just in his dreams or in the end.

From Sujay

September 1, 2009 11:29 AM
I was a stag for about 3 prime years of my life. During those times of famine, I always hung out with one male friend or the other. There were no mud-rollings or anything though, so I was suspicious about Charlie and Mikhael. However, in the end, Charlie is seen with a girl, and a heera on her ring. So i kinda let it pass. The bisexual angle didnt strike then.

From Manali

September 3, 2009 10:43 AM
http://www.facebook.com/issjunglesemujhebachao

From Ptwo

September 23, 2009 12:18 PM
More than anything it reassures me of Indian Cinema getting more mature. Text which is left open for viewers to interpret... its not spoon-feeding anymore... its not forcing a 'point-of-view' on you... Really good work... Thanks Vishal and the likes

From Anjana

September 26, 2009 1:40 AM
WE HV BEEN SO MUCH FOCUSSED ON THE RELATION BETWEEN CHARLIE AND MIKHAIL TAT WE HAD TOTALLY FORGOTTEN THE GAY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BHOPPE BAO AND MIKHAIL IT HAS BEEN FIRST NOTICED WHEN BHOPPE BAO SEE MIKHAIL ON TAT RAINY DAY AS SOON AS BHOPPE BAO NOTICE MIKHAIL WHO HAS BEEN TOTALLY WET BHOPPE BAO'S SEXUALITY HAS BEEN REAVELED BUT ON SEEING MIKHAIL'S GREAT BONDING WITH CHARLIE HE CANNOT STOP HIS FEELINGS TOWARDS MIKHAIL SO HE ASKS HIM TO SIT AND NJOY EATING BURGER BHOPPE WANTED TO COME CLOSER TO MIKHAIL SO ASKED HIM ABOUT THE DEAL WHICH WAS FIXED WITH CHARLIE BUT MIKHAIL DIDN'T REAVELED THE SECRET PROPERLY AND CHARLIE FORCINF MIKHAIL TO COME OUT OF TAT PLACE MADE BHOPPE TO FORGET HIS SEXUAL FEELINGS TOWARDS MIKHAIL BHOPPE WANTED MIKHAIL BY HOOK AND CROOK IN ORDER TO RELAX HIS SEXUAL FEELINGS FR MIKHAIL BHOPPE WAS DANCING WIT HIM AND TRIED TO WOO HIM WIT EVERY ASPECT BUT UNFORTUNATELY WAS NOT ABLE TO CONVINCE HIM AS HE SAW TAT MIKHAIL WAS MUCH AATRACTED TOWARDS CHARLIE THAN BHOPPE SO BHOPPE DECIDED TO KILL HIM SO TAT MIKHAIL CAN BE NEITHER OF CHARLIE NOR BHOPPE THUS HIS LUV TRIANGLE COMES TO AN END WIT A SAD ENDING..........

From Akash

September 26, 2009 11:41 PM
wow u guys r taking this tooo far he's like a bro to him friends in India fight like hell and plus, he always wanted the girl from his dreams is he loved mikhail, he wouldn't picture him on his father's strecther

From Abhishek

September 29, 2009 12:52 AM
yes Anjana u r rite i also felt the same way.Bhoppe and Mikhail shared some kind of relationship which i also felt in the movie kaminey. I don't know why the people r not focussing on bhoppe and Mikhail relationship. One thing i wil like to share tat Bhoppe and Tashi the great also had relation It was seen tat when tashi died in the end Bhoppe was crying uncontrollably .Even Bhoppe and Tashi has come close through a deal in which it has been mentioned tat they two wil flee out with tat money and start a new and healthy life like the movie dostana..... Bhoppe's kaki has said once to bhoppe and tashi "PHULO PHALO KHAR CHODO" AND ALSO SAID TO BHOPPE "KAKI KA LADLA BIGARH GAYA" when kaki came to knw about Bhoppe's relationship wit Firstly Mikhail and the Tashi the Great............. But unfortunately Bhoppe's relationship wit either of them did not succeed...........

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