Pride Month 2024: Movies That Showed the Hardships of LGBTQ Relationships
The film industry has its ways of bringing out things in such a manner that we, as an audience, just cant resist accepting the harsh reality of the world. Many films with openly queer characters have faced controversies for a variety of reasons. Despite all of that, the film industry has contributed to supporting the LGBTQ community in many unknown ways. The month of June is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of queer and gender non-conforming people and highlighting the problems they face in society. Here is a list of some Bollywood films that honoured LGBTQ relationships and their struggles.
1. Fire (1996):For the unversed, it is the first movie in mainstream Bollywood that gave importance to homosexual relationships. It stars Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das, who portrayed two distinct characters. They are tired of estranged and abusive relationships and find solace in each other. Even after facing a lot of difficulties, they come together in the end.
2. Aligarh (2015):The biographical drama stars Rajkumar Rao, Manoj Bajpayee, and Ashish Vidyarthi. The story revolves around a professor at the Aligarh Muslim University, who was suspended based on character and dismissed from his esteemed chair in the university. The way homosexuality is portrayed in this film is highly applaudable and Manoj Bajpayee's performance gives life to the character.Also Read- Gangs Of Wasseypur To Aligarh: Performances By Manoj Bajpayee That Make Him An Actor Of Substance
3. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga:The coming-of-age film inspired by the novel, A Damsel In Distress mainly explores a lesbian relationship and the taboo around it. It stars Sonam Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Anil Kapoor, and Juhi Chawla in lead roles. The story revolves around two girls who fall in love with each other but their families are neither aware nor supportive of the homosexual relationships.
4. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020):The movie stars Ayushmann Khurrana, Jitendra Kumar, Gajraj Rao, and Neena Gupta in lead roles. It throws light on the gay relationship between Aman and Kartik. It's an excellent film that shows the difficulty a person goes through while revealing her sexuality in front of their orthodox parents.
5. Badhaai Do (2022):Badhaai Do is directed by Harshvardhan Kulkarni and is a comedy film that explores homosexuality and also the concept of lavender marriage. It's a kind of roller coaster ride Rajkumar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar's character goes through when their marriage brings unexpected drama into their lives.
6. Nyan Marykutty (2018):Starring Jayasurya in the lead role, the film portrays the journey of a transwoman who aspires to become a cop. The film addresses topics related to hate and prejudice against the transgender community, and how a simple act of love can help end these biases. The film is directed by Ranjith Sarkar and was originally released in Malayalam in 2018.
7. Super Deluxe (2019):This 2019 film stars some of the biggest names in the South Indian film industry, like Vijay Sethupati, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, and Fahadh Faasil. Vijay Sethupati plays the character of a transwoman named Shilpa. The film showcases the gruesome sexual violence and discrimination that the trans community has to face at the hands of people and law enforcers.