Bollywood films are seen as reflecting society. Indian filmmakers have recently taken on taboo subjects that are delicate and have produced films that are not only moving but frequently instructive. LGBTQ representation in Bollywood films is one such issue that has been thoroughly explored. The portrayal of the queer community has been a subject of debate and advancement for a very long time, and as an industry, we have achieved numerous milestones in discussing the issues the community faces. Now, as we enter Pride Month in June, here’s a list of LGBTQ movies that you can binge-watch in celebration.
- Aligarh
Directed by Hansal Mehta, Aligrah was a LGBT movie based on a true story depicting the tragic life of Professor Ramchandra Siras (Manoj Bajpayee). Siras was the heading the department of Classical Modern Indian Languages Faculty at Aligarh Muslim University in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India. Once, a local news channel barge into his home and finds him having sex with a rickshaw puller. That incident ends up changing his life forever. He’s sacked by his university and is ridiculed by society. He puts himself into a shell until a journalist named Deepu Sebastian (Rajkummar Rao) learns about his story and comes forward to offer him help. - Dear Dad
The story revolves around Nitin Swaminathan (Arvind Swamy) and his family consisting of his older son Shivam (Himanshu Sharma), daughter Vidhi and wife Nupur. While from the look of it they look like the perfect family, there is a startling revelation that Nitin has to make and talk to his son about.
Shivam is a teenager put up at a boarding school in Dehradun. After his summer break is over, Nitin decides to drive him to his school and break the news about him and his wife heading for a divorce because of his sexual preferences. A clueless Shivam embarks on this road-trip happily. After hinting at a personality being gay, Nitin finds it difficult to convey it to his son.
On the way to his school, they drop by at Shivam’s grand mother’s place where he accidentally hears Nitin talking to his dad about coming out of the closet. Shocked and unable to fathom the truth, the film further explores how this father-son relationship comes full circle after going through ups and downs. - Kapoor and Sons
Kapoor and Sons was a film that revolved around a dysfunctional family who are always out to slit each other’s throats but also love each other more than anything in the world. Rahul Kapoor (Fawad Khan) and Arjun Kapoor (Sidharth Malhotra) are two brothers who really don’t get along with each other. They are constantly arguing over the pettiest of issues. Things in the family grow even worse Rahul’s mother Sunita Kapoor (Rathna Pathak Shah) is horrified to discover intimate photos of her son and his boyfriend. Rahul’s sexuality was just one layer of the family drama that made it a must-watch. - Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga was another mainstream Bollywood LGBT movie that featured a big star representing the LGBT community. Sonam Kapoor Ahuja played the role of Sweety Chaudhary, the daughter of a fun-loving and traditional Punjabi family. Ever since Sweety was a young girl, she dreamed of being a bride. But, when she grows up, she realises that although she wants to be a bride, it’s not the same way she imagined. When Sweety ends up rejecting all the suitors picked by her parents Balbir Chaudhry (Anil Kapoor) and Chatro (Juhi Chawla), they get a hint about her reason behind it.
It is later revealed that Sweety is in love with a woman, Kuhu (Regina Cassandra). While initially, her father does not take the news well, he realises that she’s the same daughter he’s loved all along. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga was the first mainstream LGBT movie since the lifting of Section 377. - Margarita with a Straw
Margarita with a Straw talks about the concepts of sexuality, inclusion, self-love, and self-acceptance. The film narrates the story of a differently-abled, bisexual teenager Laila and her journey of exploring her sexuality. She suffers from cerebral palsy since birth and is confined to a wheelchair. But despite her condition, she is headstrong about living her life normally. She decides to leave for New York for further studies and explores her life there, while falling in love with both a guy and a girl. The movie follows her journey to finally accepting that she is bisexual.
Margarita with a Straw premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. It was also screened at the Tallinn Black Nights, the BFI London, the Vesoul Festival of Asian Cinema, and the Galway Film Fleadh. - Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui
The story revolves around Manu, a bodybuilder from Chandigarh, who falls in love with Maanvi, a Zumba teacher. All seems well until Manu discovers that Maanvi is a trans woman. Manu decides to end the relationship, only to later realise what a grave mistake he has made. he film grossed USD 4 million approx. (INR 33.64 crore) in India and USD 596,285 (INR 4.93 crore) overseas. - Badhaai Do
Badhaai Do is a romantic comedy revolving around two queer people — Sumi and Shardul. The duo enters a lavender marriage in order to keep their respective families happy and to remain heterosexual in the eyes of society. However, the families eventually discover the truth, followed by a series of emotional scenes that will make you mushy as well. The film effortlessly talks about the importance of freedom to love, while also unravelling people’s conservative attitude towards the LGBTQ community. - Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan
A sequel of sorts to Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017), the film deals with the topic of homosexuality via humour. The story revolves around the lives of two gay men — Kartik Singh and Aman Tripathi, who are in love. While Kartik is quite open about his sexuality, Aman struggles with telling his family that he is in love with a man. The drama continues when Aman’s father decides to get him married to a girl.
Also read: Arjun Kapoor opens up about Malaika Arora pregnancy rumours
