In the past, there have been films that have screened lesbian lovemaking scenes in Hindi cinema, only to draw the ire of political parties, be it a film like Fire or Girlfriend. Bollywood hasn't always been successful when it comes to that kind of representation. But that has not deterred filmmakers from pursuing the subject. While we still have a long way to go, the need for all kinds of love to be seen in the mainstream media is apparent.
Today on the occasion of International Women's day International Business Times brings to you six films on lesbian that were not only ahead of time their times but also showcased powerful mainstream actresses doing roles with utmost ease. These films salute the spirit of love, togetherness, and womanhood.
Here are 6 Bollywood films with Lesbian themes that showcase love is above all!
Fire (1996)
The first installment in Deepa Mehta's elements trilogy, Fire was a bold film, especially when it released (1996). The film was mired in controversy as Shiv Sena protested to the lesbian theme in the film. Fire is a beautiful story of two women who are married to two brothers who neglect them and end up having a relationship with each other, thus exploring their sexuality. Both Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das did an exceptional job with the film, but perhaps the time was not right as maybe cine-goers and people in power were not ready for such a bold themed film. Decades later, this film remains a classic when it comes to lesbian love in the middle-class Indian society.
Margarita with a Straw (2014)
Kalki Koechlin in Shonali Bose's film Margarita with a straw plays a teenager with cerebral palsy and later meets and falls for a blind Pakistani woman. Released in 2014 this film didn't go down well with masses for its bold subject. Many people didn't even watch it in theaters. Later the film picked up with the word of mouth publicity. For the cinema lovers the film is honest, raw, and brilliantly executed.
Dedh Ishqiya ( 2014)
Dedh Ishqiya was released in 2014, way back when LGBT was not even openly discussing in India and was considered as a taboo. During that time filmmaker, Abhishek Chaubey explored the theme of homosexuality through the two female protagonists played by Madhuri and Huma. Kudos to both the ladies for doing a film ahead of their times.
Ragini MMS 2 (2014)
Balaji Telefilms' and ALT Enternatinment's Ragini MMS 2, which is a sequel to Ragini MMS. Starring Sunny Leone and Sandhya Mridul, in a horrex genre, is bold. The passionate kiss between the two female protagonists in the film is one of the most talked-about scenes in the film. There is a huge number of people who opposed the content of the film but in the end watch it too.
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (2019)
Starring Sonam Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Anil Kapoor, and Regina Cassandra. this is the first Bollywood mainstream rom-com film packed with traditional Bollywood song, dance, and melodrama, it touches unprecedented territory. It told a typical love story in a traditional way but it was uniquely about a queer couple. The film truly won in its intent to normalize how love transcends gender while it showed us a lesbian's journey of loneliness, internalization of shame, and finally finding the courage to come out.
Sheer Qorma (2020)
Sheer Qorma is an upcoming film on LGBT romance, Starring Shabana Azmi, Divya Dutta, and Swara Bhaskar, the film revolves around two women (played by Dutta and Swara Bhaskar) who are in love with each other. The film will be released in film festivals in London and then will be shown in prestigious film festivals. Written and directed by Faraz Arif Ansari and produced by Marijke De Souza and is bankrolled by Futterwacken Films.
International Business Times wishes all our readers a very Happy Women's day!
