Finally, Bombay (now Mumbai) appears to us as the westernized megalopolis that it is. The film does not dwell on the misery of the slum dwellers, or on mysticism, but rather on the young, artsy, middle-class scene in this great Indian city. The three hip, returning "hyphenated" young Indians explore very real aspects of life in modern India. The film is very bold in its statements about India's huge film industry ("Bollywood"), Western morals and values prevalent among young people, and male homosexuality (still illegal in India). ..............................................................Indian film censorship is so severe, even though the script is pre-approved (as it first must be submitted to a board), a government censor is still present at all shootings. Despite that level of censorship before and during the filming, the movie was cut and the original negative was not even returned to the screenwriter/filmmaker. According to the director at a recent screening, the film suffered over 20 cuts and lost a few minutes of its running time, and not just for illegal sexual acts. Adding to the film's controversy, a couple of cinemas were burned down in protest of the "depravation" shown in the film (allegedly, this is common in India; the situation was worse when FIRE premiered). Undeniably, BOMBAY BOYS makes its statements in stylish, and innovative ways not common in Indian films. A real gem.
