Gay comedy entertains and upsets different people, based on their sexual orientation and empathy factor. Effeminate mannerisms have always been a standard hitting-below-the-belt option, preferred especially by those who want to play to the gallery. Many have dabbled in this genre, consciously indulging in low-brow comedy with an eye on the front benchers. A comedian here and a sidekick there have made a career out of gay comedy.

What's new about it? Such a comedy, the preserve of B- and C-grade writers/directors, has just smitten no less a craftsman than Shankar! Yes, in 'I', one character keeps irritating us with his 'I' is gay demeanour.

The character is played by Ojas Ranjani, better known as Aishwarya Rai's make-up artist. He falls in love with Vikram and gets spurned. While the idea is routine, one would have expected a director of Shankar's talent to show novelty in execution. What we get to see is the routine comedy of the heterogenous male spurning the homosexual's overtures.

Recently, straight films like 'Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde', 'Ala Modalaindi', 'Chinadana Neekosam' have featured the comedy, prominently. Nithin simply hit it off in the first, but badly went over-board in the recent outing.

So, gay comedy is not necessarily the comedian's preserve.

However, are our directors resorting to a lousy short-cut to make the quick buck? There is nothing inherently wrong about gay comedy, but it needs to have substance. However, be it Bollywood or southern cinema, presenting a stereotyped image of the gay, ever so desperate and mean and always unashamed, may have to go.

Shankar gives the gay character a bigger role in 'I', but the scenes involving Ojas and Vikram are cliched themselves!