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In the trailer of 'Badhaai Do', Rajkummar Rao is seen playing a gay policeman, while Bhumi Pednekar a lesbian teacher – who get married to each other, so that their respective families get off their backs, and the protagonists move on with life. The film is releasing in theatres on Friday, 11 February.
The film explores what the LGBTQIA+ community calls a 'lavender marriage' – when a man and a woman, who are homosexual, enter a marriage of convenience, to seem like a heterosexual couple in the eyes of society.
A 28-year-old media professional, who did not want to be named, reflects upon how it is still not easy to come out in India – even after the reading down of Section 377.
"While a lot of my friends have come out to their families, I still do not have that space. That is the case in a lot of households, whether you want to acknowledge or not. After you reach a certain age, it is expected that you marry and have children. When you are not out to family, it is also not easy to handle such pressures, day in and day out," he says.
Shruti Krishnan, a 30-year-old software professional, who identifies as a lesbian, too, is still not out to her family yet. She lives with her partner, and is "currently gathering courage" to come out to her parents.
The film is also releasing at a time when the Delhi High Court is hearing a batch of petitions seeking legal recognition for same-sex marriage – and some argue that such portrayal of 'lavender marriage' is 'regressive'.
Many people from within the queer community question the messaging, saying that popular culture should now make "extra effort" to normalise same-sex relationships, and not popularise ways out of it.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Harshavardhan Kulkarni, Director of Badhaai Do, defends the premise:
Rudra Das, a lecturer, in a Mumbai college, says that while not ideal solution to get away from family, it is a safer option for many – especially lesbian women.The 28-year-old media professional also adds, "A marriage is something that concerns two people. When there is no deception involved, and if two queer people are going to benefit out of each other, it is frankly nobody's business but theirs."
In an ideal world, she adds, society is accepting of same-sex relationships, and there would be no difference in the manner in which the couples are treated.
While lavender marriage may be a 'marriage' just on paper, it could have serious ramifications, says a queer lawyer, who did not want to be named.
Krishnan adds that she does not know if anyone is "truly happy" in a lavender marriage, because they are "not being themselves" and are still living two lives.
"In India, marriage is a lot about functioning as a unit. If you are succumbing to lavender marriage due to societal pressure, are you ready to deal with everything else together as a 'couple'? Because let's be honest, it is not like everyone is going to forget you and your 'spouse' after the three-day wedding. What happens then? Will your actual partner be okay with it. Where will this end," Das lists the practical difficulties in a lavender marriage.
Das also argues that while we are fighting petitions seeking recognition of same-sex marriage in courts, we should also realise that things will "truly change" for the community only when there is societal acceptability.
"We all want to be married to people we love. Don't judge someone who is entering a lavender marriage, but society that is forcing them to. We must understand this before jumping into conclusions. It is like judging a person for not coming out. You don't know their story," says the queer lawyer, who is not out in his law firm yet.
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