In 2018 a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court struck down the colonial law relating to so-called ‘unnatural offences’ and decriminalised homosexuality. This hugely significant and welcome step gave millions the confidence to profess their love a little more openly. Moviemakers found the courage to make movies on the subject; most notably the soon to be released Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan. It may not be Bollywood's first foray into the subject of homosexuality, but it still signals a lot of firsts.
Homosexuality, when portrayed in Hindi films has typically been the subject of ridicule; usually crass, insensitive and cringe-worthy. So when there is a gay character in a film like Student of the Year, he is silly and lustful and stereotypical. There is a supposed gay relationship in Dostana only for it to be revealed later that this was some silly charade meant to woo the same woman. Numerous Hindi films have had gay characters placed there specifically so they could be the butt of unkind, stereotypical jokes. So, Bollywood’s record with homosexuality has not been great.
There have, of course, been exceptions. A film like My Brother Nikhil was made in the 1990s and could certainly be considered brave and ahead of its time. It was a story about AIDS but it also looked at same-sex love compassionately and maturely. Deepa Mehta's Fire also forayed into a same-sex relationship between two women in 1996. It was a powerful commentary against the powerlessness of women in a repressive, patriarchal social setup.
The brilliant Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkumar Rao starrer Aligarh was made in 2016. Based on a true story it told the story of a professor discriminated and persecuted for his sexual orientation. This Hansal Mehta film was made while homosexuality was still considered a crime; spoken about only in hushed tones; therefore a very courageous film.
There was also the beautifully sensitive and courageous Margarita with a Straw which looked at the same-sex relationship of a woman with cerebral palsy. Most recently we had Ek Ladki ko Dekha to Aisa Laga which took a tentative step towards the acceptance of same-sex relationships by family and society. These films were completely unlike prior portrayals of homosexuality in Hindi films. For that reason they were both brave and refreshing.
Progressive as films like My Brother Nikhil, Fire, Ek Ladki ko Dekha to Aisa Laga and Aligarh were, they were niche films. They were largely serious in tenor and they addressed issues other than just homosexuality. Apart from Fire (which had an explicit scene between the protagonists Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das and which created a storm of controversy at the time) these films were hesitant about showing any physical expression of same-sex love.
Where Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan seems to be different is that this is a gay love story, plain and simple. It is set in a regular, identifiable, middle-class milieu. So the context becomes relatable for more people and we come a step closer to normalising same-sex relationships and our attitude to them. It promises to be a funny and enjoyable and entertaining film; beyond the suffering and secrecy that are typically associated with same-sex relationships.
The Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan trailer boldly shows us a full lip-lock between two men in public – certainly a first for mainstream Bollywood. In a country that still frowns on any kind of romantic PDA, this is hugely significant. Perhaps something like this will also take us a step closer to shedding our ingrained but largely hypocritical prudery? Well, one can hope.
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