In 1996, Deepa Mehta created history by releasing “Fire”, the first bollywood movie to portray a lesbian relationship. The aftermath of this were burning posters, vandalized theaters and threats to not only the people involved in the production, but also the people who made the mistake of showing support for freedom of expression and for a positive portrayal or queer individuals. This incident is over 25 years old and the society has changed a lot since then. But has there been any real progress in the representation of queer individuals in Indian media?
After "Fire", there have been many mainstream movies in bollywood that have tried to tackle homosexuality. Karan Razdan’s movie “Girlfriend (2004)” was panned across the board not just for a poor storyline, but also for its highly problematic portrayal of lesbians. At the same time, movies like “My Brother Nikhil (2005)” and “Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007)” have been praised for their sensitive portrayals of queer individuals. The 2004 Malayalam film “The Journey” was another landmark film portraying the love story of a lesbian couple.
Even television shows like “Maryada: Lekin Kab Tak? (2010-2012)”, “Four More Shots Please (2019-Present)” and “Made in Heaven (2019-Present)” have portrayed queer relationships. “Made in Heaven” also deals with the impact of the highly regressive Section 377 on queer individuals. It showcases the story of a gay wedding planner who is imprisioned for having a consentual physical relationship with another man. This struck a beat with many viewers and the show was lauded for its portrayal.
“Dostana”, released in 2008, is another mainstream movie that deals with homosexuality. The movie tells the story of two men who pretend to be gay to share an apartment with a girl; eventually, both fall in love with her. It received a generally positive from the audiences with many believing that the movie plays an important role in getting the topic of homosexuality in a mainstream conversation. Many gay activists lauded the portrayal of gay men by two mainstream heros without it being turned into a caricature.
“Gulabi Aaina (2003)”, an independent film banned by the censor board in India has also been lauded worldwide for its portrayal of gay and transgender individuals. Films like these have pushed the boundaries and have moved the conversation forward and bought issues plaguing the LGBTQ community to light.
The recent years have witnessed an increase in the films about queer and transgender individuals. “Aligarh (2016)”, is the true story of a professor who was harrassed and fired for being gay. It recieved widespread praise for the portrayal of how queer individuals are ill-treated and discriminated against. It is a touching story ending with his tragic death. Films like “Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhan (2020)”, “ Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (2019)”, “Badhaai Do (2022)'' have also been praised for trying to portray members of the LGBTQ community in a positive manner. “Geeli Pucchi'', part of Netfilx’s anthology “Ajeeb Daastaans (2021)”, is another landmark film tackling homosexuality, caste and patriarchy in a realistic manner. It is lauded for its intersectionality and for tackling sensitive and important topics.
However, at the same time, there have also been films like “Laxmii (2020)”, “Housefull 4 (2019)” that are still using queer and trans individuals as the punchline.
While the representation of queer and trans individuals have increased, it also has the counterside that these portrayals are been done by cis-het actors and not actually by the members of the community. Films “Gangubai Kathiyawadi (2022)”, which was lauded for the portrayal of the lives of sex workers, was criticized for the casting of Vijay Raz to play a transwoman. Even in “Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui (2021)”, the casting of Vaani Kapoor, a cisgender actor, as a trans woman was criticized.
This trend of queer actors being neglected and the roles that reflect and impact their lives being given to cis-het actors has seen significant amount of backlash from queer activists across the nation. Queer actors need to be cast for queer roles. If those roles keep going to cis-het individuals, we will never be able to achieve realistic and nuanced representation.
Indian media has had a complicated history when it comes to queer stories. The audience reception has largely been dictated not by realistic stories but if they fit into the parameters of a mainstream movie or television show. While there has been an increase and improvement in the portrayals, there is still a very long way to go.
Comments