Shayok Mukhopadhyay is an Indian documentary producer. His new project Gautam Buddha, is about a Gajon, a theater company traveling the rural areas of India.
Because these Gajons traditionally consist of an all male crew, female roles are played by men as well. It turns out that many, if not most, of these men are gay: something that’s not easily accepted in a socially conservative society, where gay sex is a criminal offense. The film tells the story of two of these actors, Gautam and Buddha and their lives in the theater, as well as outside of it. This documentary will show that gay people are both present and active in social and cultural life in rural India.
Mukhopadhyay hopes this film will also motivate urban LGBT activists to reach out to gay people in these rural areas. With PlanetRomeo Foundation funding, a rough cut of this film will be produced for further fundraising purposes.