Recently, I have come across at least three mainstream programs wherein the protagonists are gay.
There are, no doubt, more such programs out there (I am told that there is a host of 'Thai BL' drama out there that I am yet to discover).
But these three are the ones I have seen and liked.
Here's a list of them, with my take on what they mean for LGBT-inclusivity.
Gameboys: This is a 2020 Filipino web-series wherein the two main characters are male teenagers who discover their own sexual orientation over the course of online games and chats, in the background of the pandemic induced lockdown. [PS: I could only find Season 1 on Netflix India]
The diffidence in accepting one's sexuality, and the frequently changing interactions in young relations are well depicted in this series. There is hardly any interference from the adults in the lives of these young people; in fact, the mother of one of the leads is so understanding and supportive that she should be enshrined as the prototype of an ideal, broadminded parent that every gay adolescent afraid of coming out should be blessed with.
Good writing, with terrific use of the lockdown restrictions to depict the pining for union between the leads, and the leads themselves who are as charming as they are adept in emoting and expressing these interactions, makes this is an engaging series with a feelgood factor working in its favour.
With so much going for it, Gameboys makes it easier to accept the boys' relations from the point of view of a viewer who has no idea about gay relations.
Hi baby! - sorry, couldn't resist that one.
Heartstopper: Again, male teenagers go through the pangs of discovering their sexuality; only, this 2022 web-series is set in England. The relationship tangles, interpersonal strife, and parental acceptance/non-acceptance are depicted here in a no-holds-barred manner, which makes this a lot more intense and emotional affair. Credit, once again, should go to the writing, direction and acting by the entire cast - can't go wrong with Olivia Colman in the scheme of things, can we?
During the course of the two seasons, this series manages to cover issues pertaining to all the letters of LGBT acronym, besides touching upon eating disorders, self-harm, and that other letter in the extended acronym: A - asexuality.
Red, White & Royal Blue: A trans-Atlantic love affair between two grown men is made all the more sensational by the fact that the leads happen to be a prince and a president's son. Based on a novel of the same name, this 2023 American film struck an immediate chord with the viewers and generated a huge positive buzz on social media. What works here is the chemistry between the leads; it helps that they are both incredibly good-looking and act wonderfully well.
What's also good is that this mainstream film does not shy away from showing the intimate moments between the gay leads. The romance is so engrossing that one forgets that this is not a star-crossed straight love story, such as Romeo & Juliet or Heer-Ranjha; a staple diet we have feasted on in our heteronormative mainstream film-viewing experience thus far.
This just goes to show that the heartstrings can be tugged at just as well by well-depicted gay love stories as straight ones.
***
The larger point that emerges from all these watershed creations is this: LGBT relationships are normal. They are variants of romantic/sexual relations, and are not in any way inferior to straight relations. The same process of falling in love, relationship issues, breakups, and reunions that are part of straight relations are also common to LGBT relations.
After all, one falls in love with an individual, whose personality, worldview, and affability is congruous with oneself. So, how does it matter if that individual happens to be a man, woman or transsexual?
I have written in detail about these issues, calling for acceptance of alternative sexuality in an earlier article.
Now, while I appreciate these three programs for bringing gay relations into the mainstream across the world, I can't help wondering when we, here in India, would be doing our gay community a huge favour by creating similar content.
If you leave out a few series in the OTT space [as in Made In Heaven 1 & 2 (about the travails of a gay protagonist, with an impressive Arjun Mathur playing the gay man), The Married Woman (lesbian affair of a married woman), and His Story (gay affair of a married man)], all of which, I must add, are excellent creations, there is a woeful lack of meaningful depictions of gayness across all film industries of India.
On the other hand, gay characters over the years have been shown as mere caricatures, to be made fun of, or to be considered abnormal, or to be discriminated against.
The nuances explored in the above three landmark productions are patently absent in the Indian context, and one has to wonder why this should be so, when we all know that the Hindi Film Industry has more than its share of gay filmmakers and actors. It is disappointing that none these filmmakers have thus far taken the lead to address this situation. Perhaps commercial considerations may be hindrances to producing an out and out gay film?
This only leads me to appreciate what the makers of some small but effective Bollywood films have achieved in terms of bringing fringe sexual issues to the open. At least here, the list is impressive: Vicky Donor (about sperm donation), Dum Laga Ke Haisha (obesity in sexual partner), Shubh Mangal Savdhan (erectile dysfunction), Badhaai Ho (late-life pregnancy), Janhit Mein Jaari (woman advocating condom use), Dream Girl (phone erotica), and Pad Man (menstrual hygiene).
To me, these are much more meaningful than any of those big budget, over-the-top, opium-to-the-masses type of hypermasculine drivel that film industries across the country dole out to pander to the whims of hero-worshipping, sycophantic fans of aged superstars.
Huge shout out also to the makers and actors of a few small LGBT-themed Hindi films: Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (male gay relations with mainstream actors: Ayushmann Khurrana and Jitendra Kumar - well done you guys), Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui (transsexual relationship with Ayushmann Khurrana and Vaani Kapoor - kudos to Vaani for doing this role), and Badhaai Do (lavender marriage between a male and female gay person with Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar - again, well done on breaking stereotypes).
Now, if only the mainstream Bollywood guys could take a cue and put together a big budget musical extravaganza in which the leads are gay or lesbian or trans.
Imagine gay versions of QSQT, MPK and HAHK with same-sex lovers mouthing lyrics such as So what if we are alone, with you along we can achieve anything - I am yours, since ages; Go go go pigeon, convey my first love letter to my lover; and Mother O Mother, listen to the crow on the roof; your darling has fallen for the love hermit (see what I did there?).
If and when that happens, and if we can, as an audience, watch them without cringing just like the fans of the above three films across the world have done, we would have taken a huge step forward in terms of gender inclusivity and equal opportunities for all representatives of the LGBT community.
So, would it be too much to ask for a Rocky Aur Raju Ki Prem Kahani?
Dharma Productions, over to you.
Pictures sources:
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12508898/
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10638036/
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10172266/