COBALT BLUE

India, 2021, 115 minutes, Colour.

Neelay Mehendale, Pateik Babbar, Neil Bhoopalam, Anjaoi Sivaraman.

Directed by Sachin Kundalkar.

An Indian film of 2021, taking up themes of sexual orientation, the traditions of Indian society, the law, family expectations, coming-of-age and dealing with sexual orientation.

The setting is Cochin in 1995. The central character the film is a young man, Tanay, accepted by his family as a poet and writer, encouraging him. He has an athletic brother who wants to get married. He has a very athletic sister, skilled at hockey, wanting to be in the national team. His parents have migrated from the north to Cochin, finding it something of an alien society and their having to adjust.

The film shows Tanay at lectures, friendship of his lecturer whom the audience expects to be homosexual and he later is revealed as gay. When Tanay’s grandparents die, a room in the house is let to a visitor, an artist, photographer, idiosyncratic, who becomes friendly with Tanay and begins a relationship with him. In the meantime, there are difficulties in the house because the daughter does not want to get married, has interviews with matchmakers, is pressurised so that her brother can marry. Then, unexpectedly and not so explicitly developed in the screenplay, the daughter runs off with the tenant. She returns, more confident herself as a woman, but complying with family expectations. The tenant disappears.

This has a devastating effect on Tanay. In the meantime, a nun who appears throughout the film, friend of the family, who has been disappointed in love has entered the convent, helps the daughter to apply for a hockey coaching job, which she receives – and leaves home. In the meantime, with the family’s approval, Tanay has won a scholarship for a writing course and leaves home. In the train he is robbed of his typewriter, lives from hand to mouth, but eventually begins the story which the tenant had encouraged him to write, drawing on a colour that the tenant had used for painting in his room, Cobalt Blue. A final scene shows the tenant at a bookshop admiring the book.

The film is an example of changing attitudes towards sexual orientation in India – and, at the end, there is a poster for Fire, the Canadian-Indian, India-set lesbian themed film.

1. The title, the paint and colour in the room, the final novel?
2. The Cochin setting, the city, homes, universities, the streets, hockey, the sea? The musical score?
3. Indian life, traditions, the 20^th century and changes, 1995 into the 21^st-century? Family, traditions, caste, the place of daughters, marriage, arrangements? Issues of sexuality? Homosexuality? Against the law, repression, secrecy?
4. Tanay and his story, his comments on migration in the Steinbeck class, the attention of the lecturer, childhood, the father moving to Cochin, his job, the mother and willing to move, bringing the children? A different world? Growing up? The home, his sister, tomboy, playing hockey, her ambitions? His brother, work, hoping to marry? The death of the grandfather, the gathering, mourning? The death of the grandmother?
5. 10 A, his writings, the family appreciating this, his poetry, hiding his books? Enjoying reading? The issue of the room, sharing with his brother? Lack of privacy? His relationship with his family? The dominating father?
6. The decision to lease the room, the arrival of the photographer, settling in, cobalt blue, the photos, 10 A intrigued? The personality of the photographer, not answering questions? The friendship with 10 A, in the room, reading and discussing? The bikes? The invitation to go to the lake, the sexual encounter, the effect on 10 A, his realisations?
7. 10 A and his love for the photographer, preoccupation, company? The photos? The photographer and his job, remodelling the spice centres?
8. The sister, her place in the family, the hockey, not wanting to marry, required to marry so that the brother could marry? Matchmakers? Her being transformed, the week, clothes?
9. Mary, the nun, her background story, the sisters in the conference, none is continually seen throughout the film? Her advice to marry, support, not wanting the sister to make the same mistake as she did? Disappointment? Posting later, receiving, bringing the good news? The sister, submissive, the experience of running away with the photographer, the film not showing much of this, difficult for the audience to appreciate? The return? The effect on her, sexuality? But going off to the hockey centre?
10. 10 A, his visit to the lecturer, they’re talking, the sexual encounter, turning’s reaction? The disappointment of the lecturer? The return visit, providing the page for the application for the writers course, 10 A offering himself, the lecturer refusing, talking about the closeted situation in India?
11. 10 A, except for the course, the family rejoicing, his leaving, travelling, taking his typewriter and book, the typewriter stolen in the train, his wandering, stealing the food? Beginning to write his novel?
12. The publication of the novel, the photographer seeing it in the window, seeing the dedication to him, the man at the lake?