Experiences with being asexual in India- ‘Desire?’
lays bare the lived realities of the minority community that identifies as asexual in a sexually conservative Indian society. The camera traces the journeys of individuals from different parts of India, how their loves, lives, and relationships swirl in the endless conundrum of identity, subverting the narrative of normative sexuality.

In a country like India where expression of sexuality is regimentalised to an extent that it is seen as profane and immoral, it could be assumed that asexuals lead an easier life, but in India sex remains as much a taboo as the lack of interest in it. Through a collage of intimate stories, ‘Desire?’ opens up a dialogue about relationships which do not stand on the edifice of Sex and Sexuality, existing as a minority community within an already persecuted LGBTQIA minority community. The parallel narratives take you through each characters’ world as they navigate through life creating small ruptures within a culture of universal hyper sexuality.

Credits

  • Garima Kaul: Director
  • Garima Kaul: Writer
  • Public Service Broadcasting Trust, India (PSBT): Producer

Specifications

  • Project Type: Documentary
  • Runtime: 28 minutes 36 seconds
  • Completion Date: September 23, 2019
  • Production Budget: 2,500 USD
  • Country of Origin: India
  • Country of Filming: India
  • Language: English, Hindi
  • Shooting Format: Digital
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Film Color: Color
  • First-time Filmmaker

Director Statement

Asexuality, a non-normative sexual orientation, or a lack thereof, has still not found any representation in the mainstream Indian discourse. Asexual individuals are often pathologised and looked at as impotent, genetically affected, or hormonally imbalanced by the medical community, thereby terming them diseased or abnormal.
Within the context of a country which bases itself on the socio-cultural edifice of matrimony, progeny and family, asexual individuals are not able to find their voices. ”Desire?” lays bare the lived realities of these individuals crumbling under societal pressure to have intercourse or get
married, often resulting in sexual, physical or mental abuse.
What drew me to this project was how this community exists as a microcosm within the larger vortex of hyper sexuality, where most of our social connections are tangled within the culture of sexuality. It became important to me to question the sincere belief that all Humans are Sexual
beings, and I chose to do this by bringing to fore the stories of people who navigate through life questioning the very episteme of Human Sexuality. Their lack of sexual desire or the urge to act upon it often leads them to be considered as perverted, heartless and frigid amongst peers in all social interactions, perpetually isolating them from the society.
It was important for me to exhibit through the narrative the ubiquitous nature of sexual imagery, and the mental associations we predominantly form even in scenarios that are not sexual in nature. This coupled with my desire to keep the audience engaged on an aesthetic level, I found myself creating a parallel narrative of sexual symbolism which stands in contrast to the experiences of the characters.
“Desire?” attempts to burst the myths around asexuality and create a more empathetic and accepting environment for asexual individuals through their own stories of how they are very much capable of love, affection and romantic relationships.