Queer Coding, Reading and Camp Sensibility in Bollywood | Karan Johar | Farah Khan #127

Queen is Dead - A Film, TV and Culture Podcast

Hello, Hello, Hello!

In our third (of three!) episodes on Queerness in Film this month, Dhruv invites Queer Academic & SRK and KJo Fanboy Cris Patrick (@limjaeseven) to discuss the one thing he wanted to talk about most, the thing that in many ways defines his Twitter Page - QUEER CODING, READING & CAMP SENSIBILITY IN BOLLYWOOD.

We emphasize the words "Coding, Reading, and Camp Sensibility" most because our focus for this episode is on films that covertly (or, at least, less self-seriously overtly) position themselves as queer narratives about queer people. This includes all films written and directed (yes, even ghost-directed) by Karan Johar and Farah Khan. But for the sake of clarity, we focus most explicitly on Johar's work -- "Kal Ho Naa Ho" (2003) for Queer Coding, "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham" (2001) for Queer Reading, & "Student of the Year" (2012) vs. "Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani" (2023) for Camp Sensibility.

Listen to the full episode to first hear us talk at length about embracing Bollywood Camp (or Campy Bollywood) and its inherent Queer Sensibility. (We use Susan Sontag's "Jottings" on Camp and Jack Babuscio's essay on Camp and Gay Sensibility to form our argument.) And then about particular scenes from each of these films that help define what it means to Queer Code & Queer Read (or Queer Bait)!

TIME CODES

Embracing Camp Bollywood - [00:00 - 16:21]

What is "Camp" (ft. Susan Sontag & Jack Babuscio) - [16:22 - 55:24]

What's Your Problem if I Want To Queer Read? - [55:25 - 59:54]

Queer Coding in "KHNH" - [59:54 - 01:26:53]

Queer Reading in "K3G" - [01:26:53 - 01:52:45]

Queer Sensibility in "SOTY" vs. "RARKPK" - [01:52:45 - 02:19:44]

Planning a Future Farah Khan Ep - [02:19:44 - 02:32:00]

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YOU CAN (& SHOULD!) FOLLOW CRIS IN ALL THESE PLACES -

Twitter - https://twitter.com/limjaeseven

Letterboxd - https://letterboxd.com/crislim/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/prdscris/

Articles & Research Papers Referenced in this Episode -

1. "Notes On Camp" (Susan Sontag). https://monoskop.org/images/5/59/Sontag_Susan_1964_Notes_on_Camp.pdf.

2. "Camp and the Gay Sensibility" (Jack Babuscio). https://comm350queercinema.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/camp-and-the-gay-sensibility.pdf

Audio Excerpts -

1. "Kantaben's Encounter - Kal Ho Naa Ho - Comedy Week." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaIdJbfffTM&ab_channel=DharmaProductions.

2. "Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDP1GTdo90A&ab_channel=NexusKhan.

3. "The Wedding - Student of the Year." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-El_iQ0i5Og&t=136s&ab_channel=DharmaProductions.