The students, who are studying for media courses at the St Joseph's College of
Communication, Changanacherry in Kottayam, had made the film for a festival
being organised by a private college in the state capital exclusively for the
homosexuals.
The film entitled Secret Minds was directed by Geo Baby, a post graduate
student in cinema and television, for the competition section of the film
festival. The other four students, who are doing BA studies in multimedia, had
acted in the film.
The college authorities initiated action against the students saying that the
film in which they performed nude was obscene and could misguide youths. A
notice served on them also accused them of misusing the college campus and the
hostel.
In their explanation, the students denied the charge that they had acted nude
in the film. "We have acted semi-nude to do justice to the theme of the film.
No females were involved in the film", the students pointed out. They argued
that the film was not intended for public screening and hence terming it
obscene could not be justified. The students have described the action against
them an attack on the freedom of expression. The college authorities rejected
their explanation and expelled them from the college.
The gay community has expressed concern over the incident. They have viewed the
action as a reflection of the society's view of them and their lifestyles.
