"Pyaar andha hota hai.."
"Pyaar itna andha bhi nahi hota ki Ladka-Ladki mein faraq na kar paaye..."
And then the scene breaks into an almost-an-item number in Dostana where Kirron Kher is seen in a state of shock as she doubts her son's sexual orientation. Well, the movie may have made money at the box-office and is now being turned into a franchise but we all know what the problem was, right?
2018 was a glorious year for India as the Supreme Court scrapped a colonial-era ban on homosexuality. But did it really change things for the LGBT community that faces discrimination and outcast every single day??
Be it violence by their own family members or the way their colleagues or friends mock them, the reality of the Queer community remains a bitter medicine that is difficult to gulp in.
The journey began on a bumpy road but the film Water continues to reflect the rebellious streak of Indian filmmaker Deepa Mehta who wanted to be the first-mover of this change.?
Loosely based on Ismat Chughtai's 1942 story, Lihaaf (The Quilt), the film tried to explicitly show homosexual relations. It was also the first-ever film to feature a lesbian relationship. India was certainly not ready in any way and the aftermaths were predictable. The film that released as per the schedule in 1998 in India, faced protests from Hindus and it ignited a heated debate and public dialogue on issues such as homosexuality and freedom of speech.??
Did it make a difference??
It's 2020 and Ayushmann Khurrana in a Queer colorful flag, openly announcing that he's gay and in love with a man is a matter of pride for the Indian audience. From Kanta Ben in Kal Ho Naa Ho who ridiculed and mocked two guys for being together in bed to parents of a middle-class family finally accepting that their son is gay, Bollywood's journey has been bumpy but fruitful.
We finally are opening up to the avenues of having films that majorly revolve around same-sex couples.Be it Margarita with a Straw or Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhan that is scheduled to release, there has been a shift in the way filmmakers want to tell stories today.?
And now, years later, in 2020, we finally have a film about a two-tier city and how a family reacts to their son being gay. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhaan is a light-hearted comedy, can be seen as a progressive attempt towards the acceptance of same-sex couples, an issue that continues to remain a taboo in India even after a year of its decriminalization by the Supreme Court.?
The romantic film is dedicated to entertain and send across a powerful message that is set to hit the big theatres on February 21.?
After years of struggling to find a way to treat a story about homosexuals in a way that's graceful and not condescending, Bollywood has finally cracked the code! Maybe it's just a beginning but it for sure is a delightful and heartening one.
Neena Gupta is all set to play a mother, who will be seen struggling and then finally accepting that her son is gay.?Talking about playing a mother whose son is gay and what they intend to showcase through their film, Neena Gupta said,
¡°I was fine with it because my daughter has many gay friends. Even I have friends who are gay. For me, it was okay. It was not a taboo. But I am sure if tomorrow my son or my daughter confesses to being gay, it would be a matter of concern. I think it will take a long time to understand and for that reality to sink in. I also think our film will encourage parents like us to have a conversation on homosexuality."?
Despite minor controversies and a problem with acceptability, the film industry is finally making its way for progressive and more heartwarming stories that depict same-sex relationships. The actual progression of how content has evolved proves that we have definitely come a long way.