6th September 2018 marked a historic day in India as the Supreme court of India legalized gay sex, and those who identify themselves as LGBTQ+ were given human rights against violence and discrimination of any kind. The day ended with one community overjoyed, into tears for not being tagged as criminals anymore, while the other protested on the streets against the decision of legalizing what they considered "unnatural" and "abnormal." Thus, will merely scrapping a law lead to accepting what was looked down upon for centuries?
The answer is not so simple as it is difficult to change a mindset that is sown right from when a person is born, especially in a diverse country like India. However, efforts are being made via several modes of communication like advertisements, campaigns, and most importantly, Bollywood. Homosexuality, a subject that was frowned upon even in Indian Parallel Cinema, has taken to the mainstream and is being represented by superstars such as Sonam Kapoor (Ek Ladki ko Dekha to Aisa Laga), Ayushmann Khurrana (Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui), Bhumi Pednekar (Badhai Do) and others. The cinematic representation from "Fire" to "Badhai Do" of the queer community has been diverse, and so was the reaction to these from homophobic audiences.
Bollywood has taken up the subject of LGBTQ+ awareness, as is evident from a back-to-back launch on movies (and OTT series). However, an accurate representation becomes an innate and unspoken responsibility while screening such a sensitive topic on a nationwide platform. Indian cinema has for long portrayed LGBTQ+ characters to add an element of humour and ridicule; the community has been shown as unaccepted and viewed as scandalous. Some movies have also portrayed queers as molesters, prostitutes and beggars. Movies like Girlfriend (2004) tried to bring homosexuality to the forefront but ended up representing it as an "unnatural" sexual orientation.
There have been bold movies, such as Chitrangada by Rituparno Ghosh, which received outright criticism from society. In the last five years, mainstream cinema has made some efforts to represent the true identity and emotional complexities of the LGBTQ+ community. The reality, however, gets lost behind romance and action that is sought by a larger proportion of the audience. The movie Ek Ladki ko Dekha to Aisa Laga (2019) received a brilliant response from the audience after the launch of its trailer with Sonam Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao; however, the ratings and public review after the screening did not match the initial excitement as the movie did not meet the criteria for A traditional love story.
For movies that followed, like Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhaan, the representation of the LGBTQ+ community, their identity, emotions, and challenges have become bold and truer compared to the earlier efforts. These movies initially received much appreciation, especially from the LGBTQ+ community. Though viewers and the box office turnover of these movies have been commendable, the efforts made by Bollywood were in vain as the audience, including the LGBTQ+ community, felt that the theme tried to bring in too many deviations at once. As a consequence, the message itself was lost along the way.
The most recent release, Badhai Do (2022), has received a great response from all sexual orientations in India. The LGBTQ+ audience was satisfied and happy about their world's subtle yet authentic portrayal.\ With trailers showing hetero-sexual romance, there was a belief that Badhai Do would be like any other LGBTQ+ movie where homosexuality is used for humor, but the audience throughout the nation appreciated it. Quotes like "I felt what they felt, and I've been where they have been'' give evidence of the pride that the LGBTQ+ community has for the movie.
Movies like Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020), starring superstars as lead and commendable actors such as Neena Gupta in supporting roles, can play a crucial role in forming opinions and attitudes towards minority sections of society. However, the acceptance of such movies depends on the viewers' perceptions. It will require significant efforts to switch the portrayal of characters with diverse sexual orientations from a subject of humor to a matter of importance in movies. Bollywood has misrepresented the LGBTQ+ community for decades and is now trying to show the right opposite side. However, prejudice/myths regarding sexual orientation that mainstream cinema has reinforced over the years cannot be reversed in a couple of years by overburdening cinema around a single theme.
Mainstream cinema is trying to be bold and inclusive in portraying sexual orientations in India. However, Homosexuality is a genre that needs to be screened with much thought and courage due to its sensitive nature, social prejudices, and political constructs. Though great appreciation is visible from the LGBTQ+ community, the road to acceptance by the country and people of the so-called ‘natural’ sexual orientation is a long journey ahead. Though movies showing LGBTQ+ relations have been viewed by the audience repeatedly, there is ambiguity about whether these representations have been accepted or are still seen only as entertainment products. Thus, a need arises for a realistic and subtle expression of sexual inclusivity without overdoing the theme and leading the audience astray.
Devanshi Mehadia
