MUMBAI, India — "Jism 2," a new Indian movie titled after the Hindu word for "body," stars a hard-core porn actress. But the filmmakers insist it's not a porn movie. Bollywood is certainly not ready for that.
The film, opening Friday, is pushing the ever-widening sexual boundaries enjoyed by many in urban India. It shows no frontal nudity. Government censors monitoring a film industry that long refused to show onscreen kissing would never clear that. But with its oil massages and fantastic lingerie, it promises to be one of the most graphic films in Bollywood history.
At the same time, growing sexual freedom has sparked a backlash by traditionalists who have torn down its risque poster, led a crackdown on bars in Mumbai and even advocated an informal curfew for women.