A lonely character, who is a part of the society but is living with a pain in his heart. This is the story of Professor Siras played by Manoj Bajpayee, a character that he pulls off so beautifully. The mannerism, the accent, the intense emotions are all top notch.

The timing of the film's release could not have been better- at a time when homosexuality has been considered illegal by the Indian judiciary and words like intolerance and human rights are on everyone's lips, Aligarh is the right movie at the right time for the Indian audience.

With almost six years behind us since the suspension, court battle, victory and death of the Aligarh Muslim Univeristy linguistics professor Dr Srinivas Ramchandra Siras, few would remember his name off the top of their head but Hansal Mehta's Aligarh will ensure you don't forget it any time soon.

Professor Srinivas Siras (Manoj Bajpayee) is the head of the modern Indian languages institute at the famed Aligarh University. He is the only Marathi teaching professor in the entire university and claims that with immense pride. One night, two reporters and four professors barge into Siras' first floor apartment and record his intimate moments with a Muslim autowala.

Hansal Mehta's Aligarh comes at an important time when the Supreme Court has ruled in favour of reopening the debate on gay rights in India. The film has its own pace and fabric as it narrates the story of 64 year old Prof Siras of Aligarh University who was suspended from the organisation for being a homosexual. Based on a true story, Hansal Mehta touches upon several issues and topics apart from gay rights in this two hour long biopic.

The film is inspired by the real life ordeal of 64-year-old Professor Siras (played by Manoj Bajpayee), who was suspended by the Aligarh University for being homosexual. He was ostracised by the society at large and subjected to physical and psychological torture for his sexual preference. Rookie journalist Dipu Sebastian (Rajkummar Rao) is the man who sees him for what he really is. Aligarh is their journey.

The reasons could be many, but a lot among us are closet homophobes. 'Aligarh' makes us question our own 'morals' and our reaction to someone's sexual orientation which doesn't match our own or which we are conditioned to think is 'not right'. Any film that makes us think and re-think our own responses for days after having watched it is obviously a good film.

The man who gave us stark movies like Citylights and Shahid, brings yet another gritty film to theatres this Friday - Aligarh, Hansal Mehta's film on Professor Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras of the Aligarh Muslim University. Professor Siras, a homosexual, was suspended for having consensual sex with a rickshaw puller in the privacy of his house. He took his case up in the Allahabad high court and won in 2010.

Words do not make poetry, Aligarh University professor Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras (Manoj Bajpayee) tells Delhi journo Deepu Sebastien (Rajkummar Rao) well over an hour into Hansal Mehta's Aligarh. Poetry, says the sexagenarian protagonist, is what springs forth from between the lines - the pauses and the silences. Aligarh, as pointed and poignant a portrait of loneliness as any that Indian cinema has ever produced, is unwaveringly true to that dictum.

An elderly professor at one of India's once-of the most prestigious centres of higher learning is hounded out - of his job, and his humble abode - because of his sexual orientation. What happens to him makes up Hansal Mehta's 'Aligarh'. It is a film both timely and important, because of what it is about, and how it is told.

Many a times 'Reel life imitates the real life'. There have been many instances wherein many a real life incidents have got translated into silver screen affair. With the Hindi film industry going through a transition, there are several film-makers who are attempting films based on real-life episodes. This week's release ALIGARH also happens to be insured by a real life incident about a professor who was suspended from his job because of his sexual orientation.