Aligarh is a moving humanisation of the 'gay' man. It generates anger at the heteronormative social structure which stands at odds with a legal system, trying to make amends. It might have its pitfalls as a film but Manoj Bajpayee carries it gracefully on his drooping shoulders. Reminding me very much of a young Naseer, he proves yet again why he is without a doubt, one of the best actors we have in Indian cinema. Rajkumar Rao is impressive, especially in the final scene of breakdown but Manoj completely steals the show. His drunken evocations of poetry, expressions of priceless simplicity, wounded stares and helpless glances establish a brilliantly underplayed and layered performance. He vivifies Siras's heartbreaking loneliness, essaying a man who lives and dies like a helpless child, put on trial by our panoptic social moralism.
As Lacan said, "When one loves, it has nothing to do with sex."
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