Happy Together: 12 Essential LGBTQ Movies From India

Here are some wonderful Indian films that show the lives of the LGBTQ community with sympathy.

A still from Loev.

After a long fight, the draconian section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was finally read down by the Supreme Court of India, bringing a smile and relief to the LGBTQ community. Decades of persecution could finally end. But as one battle has come to a close, there are other battles that are waiting to be fought.

The LGBTQ community in India has suffered in various spheres - be it emotional or physical. Even in film, their portrayal has mostly been caricature and ridicule. But beyond this lampooning, there are some wonderful films produced in India that have tried to break the pattern and show the lives of the LGBTQ community with sympathy.

One of the first movies with an LGBTQ theme is the now forgotten ‘Badnam Basti’ (1970), directed by Prem Kapoor. In a piece for Scroll, Manish Gaekwad writes that this movie was an “unconventional love triangle between two men and a woman” adapted from a book written by Kamleshwar. Unfortunately, no copy of this movie exists anymore.

After Badnam Basti, there was a serious lull in movies dealing with LGBTQ themes, till 1996 when Bomgay happened. Directed by Jugnu Sethna and Riyad Vinci Wadia, it was an anthology consisting of six short films, all based on the poems of R Raj Rao. The same year also saw Fire (1996), directed by Deepa Mehta and starring Nandita Das & Shabana Azmi. The film became controversial because several right-wing groups called its portrayal of lesbianism alien to Indian culture, with protests against it in several Indian cities.

Over the years, the cinematic medium has tried to bring up the cause of the LGBTQ community through different movies, opening a window to a world seldom visited and rarely understood. Here's a list of 12 movies, some well-known and some obscure that became an essential part of LGBTQ cinema made in India.

Daayra (1996):

Nirmal Pandey and Sonali Kulkarni in Daayra.

Amol Palekar's critically acclaimed movie, about the relationship between a transgender dancer (Nirmal Pandey) and a gang rape survivor (Sonali Kulkarni) broke the traditional pattern of man-woman relationships, going beyond boundaries that were seldom crossed in Indian cinema. Laced with humour as well as ample use of masala moments, the movie had several lovely songs as well.

Gulabi Aaina (1997)

A still from Gulabi Aaina.

Gulabi Aaina's greatest strength lies in its deliberate presentation of a love triangle that goes haywire involving a gay teenager and two transgender women who vie for the attention of a man. The movie loudly and boisterously uses Bollywood tropes, producing a campy flavoured narrative, becoming funny and self-deprecating at the same time. Directed by Sridhar Rangayan, Gulabi Aaina was banned in India but since then has gained a cult status.

Darmiyaan (1997)

Arif Zakaria and Kirron Kher in Darmiyaan.

Directed by Kalpana Lajmi, this movie is about Immi (Arif Zakaria) who is born to Bollywood actress (Kiron Kher). To her shock, she discovers that Immi is a eunuch and rejects her son. Raised by his grandmother, Immi grows up to be thoughtful and caring but is targeted by a group of eunuchs led by Champa (Sayaji Shinde), who want him to join their ranks. Darmiyaan tries to connect two worlds, as seen from the eyes of Immi for whom these gender categories make no sense. In one of the most touching scenes, when grilled by Champa about his sexuality, Immi says that he is just an adakar (performer). Immi defies social mores and comes out as an independent person, beyond the shackles of gender classification. The movie also stars Tabu in an important role.

Mango Soufflé (2002)

A still from Mango Souffle.

Playwright Mahesh Dattani, who turned director with this movie, adapted it from his play, On a Muggy Night in Mumbai. Mango Soufflé talks about homosexuality in the upper echelons of society. A gay designer throws a dinner party which is attended by his friends as well as his sister and her fiancé. Secrets are revealed, humour overflows and pathos ensues during the course of the party and beyond it. Starring Atul Kulkarni, Rinke Khanna, Ankul Vikal, Heeba Shah among others, it deals with the trials and tribulations of gay Indian men with utmost sincerity.

Sancharram (2004)

A still from Sacharram.

Based on a true story, Sancharram, this Malayalam movie is about Kiran and Delilah, a Hindu and Christian girl who love each other. Circumstances prevent them from coming together as their relationship is exposed and Delilah is forced to get married. The movie explores how difficult it is to break out of the shackles of societal norm and be with the person you love. Directed by Ligy J. Pullappally, Sancharram tries to deconstruct a relationship that's considered taboo by society.

Arekti Premer Golpo (2010)

A still from Arekti Premer Golpo.

Directed by Kaushik Ganguly, this movie is a complex exploration of gender and sexuality where past meets present. A transgender documentary filmmaker (Rituparno Ghosh) starts a film on Chapal Bhaduri, a legendary jatra actor who was famous for playing female roles and finds parallels between her life and that of Chapal. Complexities of love and life are revealed as the movie switches trajectories, showing the torment that the characters go through as they are subjected to societal pressure and discrimination.

Memories of March (2010)

Rituparno Ghosh and Deepti Naval in Memories of March.

Going beyond the paradigms of LBGTQ issues, this movie deals with the idea of acceptance and opening up. A mother (Deepti Naval) comes to collect her son's body and discovers that her son was gay, having no clue about this. After initial misgivings, her son's lover (Rituparno Ghosh) becomes her friend and confidant as she finally comes in terms with his death and his sexuality. The movie mainly works because it tries to create an interaction between two tormented souls who have lost someone as they try to work out their differences and get closure. The movie was directed by Sanjoy Nag and also featured Raima Sen.

Chitrangada: The Crowning Wish (2012)

A still from Chitrangada.

In one of his last directorial ventures, Rituparno Ghosh tackled several issues. Be it gender politics, sexuality or an unforgiving society, Rituparno fleshes out a character Rudra (played by himself) who goes beyond norms in every possible way. A choreographer by profession, he gets involved with Partho (Jisshu Sengupta), during his adaptation of Rabindranath's Chitrangada. As their relationship blossoms, they decide to adopt a child but same sex couples are barred from doing so. Rudra decides to undergo gender reassignment surgery as he tries to break down the barriers that stop him from discovering his true-self, and the movie pushes the audience to answer several questions it raises.

Loev (2015)

A still from Loev.

Loev is an urban tale about two friends and their feelings for each other that suddenly find their way out during a weekend trip with consequences beyond their control. But what's going to happen will happen and possibly for the best. Directed by Sudhanshu Saria, and starring Shiv Pandit and Dhruv Ganesh as friends as well as lovers, Loev is a jazzy and spirited treatment to that eternal cliché of romance, when sparks fly and hearts break. This was also Dhruv Ganesh's last film appearance as he died of tuberculosis shortly after the film was completed.

Aligarh (2015)

Manoj Bajpai in Aligarh.

Director Hansal Mehta tries to unravel the mysterious death of Aligarh Muslim University professor Ramchandra Siras, who was exposed as a gay and kicked out of his job, till a crusading journalist took up his story and fought for justice. Aligarh explores many dimensions, and asks questions like what it is to be homosexual in India and the ill-treatment meted out in the name of morality and sanctity of society. With terrific performances from Manoj Bajpayee as Siras and Rajkummar Rao as journalist Deepu Sebastian, Aligarh heralded a new era for Hindi cinema when dealing with LGBTQ themes.

Kapoor & Sons (2016)

A still from Kapoor & Sons.

Bollywood has forever made a mess when it comes to portraying homosexuality. But Shakun Batra's family saga starring Rishi Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra, Fawad Khan, Ratna Pathak Shah and Rajat Kapoor, gets it right. In the rigmarole of family bonding, we see Fawad Khan as a gay writer vying for acceptance and approval. Batra manages to do the unmanageable by bringing homosexuality in the mainstream and giving a mature treatment, thus creating an example for others to follow.

Njan Marykutty (2018)

A still from Njan Marykutty.

With Njan Marykutty, Indian cinema tried to take one more step towards maturity while dealing with LGBTQ themes. Directed by Ranjith Sankar, Jayasurya plays a trans woman who wants to be a police officer. The movie, though flawed at times, had its heart in the right place, with Jayasurya giving one of his career-best performances as Marykutty. The critics raved about Jayasurya's performance and noted that the film broke away from the usual stereotypes by portraying the character with sensitivity.