Being Gay in Bollywood

This book is important for those interested in Bollywood or in queer activism in India, but also for those who are looking for a life story to inspire them

Ever since the Supreme Court in 2018 read down provisions of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, decriminalising consensual same-sex love, Bollywood has produced several Queer romantic comedies such as Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (2019), Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020), and Badhaai Do (2022). With leading actors such as Sonam Kapoor, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao, and Bhumi Pednekar playing Queer characters on screen, one might imagine that Queer films are no longer taboo. This was not the case even seven or eight years ago when a film like Aligarh (2015) was received with protests and calls