It is about time that we change as a society
On December 11 2013, Supreme Court of India decided to use their constitutional rights and power and denied approximately 2.4 million (excluding closeted cases) people their constitutional rights. The SC scrapped the 2012 Delhi high court judgment that de-criminalised homosexuality. And today a new ray of hope has emerged as SC has decided to reopen the debate on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. Court has referred the debate to a five judge bench for detailed hearing. Also Read - Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani: Karan Johar shares picture of glowing mom-to-be Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh from London
We see this as a step forward towards a brighter future. And before the debate is heard by the bench, we would gladly like to recommend the five judges a set of movies to watch. Although Indian cinema is not very rich in the genre of LGBT friendly movies, it has still managed to produce some brilliant gems that throw light on life and problems of this marginalized section of our society. These films evoke certain empathy inside every viewer and can help look at the LGBT community as a bigger part of our society than a “miniscule fraction of country’s population”. Also Read - From Alia Bhatt to Mira Rajput Kapoor: Bollywood divas who were judged and trolled for their pregnancy announcements
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A woman (Sarh Jane Dias) introduces her lesbian partner (Tanishtha Chatterjee) to her friends; while some of them are openly accepting, some are skeptical. The story speaks volume of coming to terms with acceptance of your friends with a different sexual orientation than yours. Moral policing on a pair of lesbian brides becomes more important for the police than looking into a case of rape and murder of a woman during the course of the film.
Margarita with A Straw
A coming-of-age story of a bisexual girl with cerebral palsy (Kalki Koechlin) tells one the importance of being accepted by family for being who you are. A dying mother comes to terms with her daughter’s sexuality, and is a beacon of hope that change will arrive, maybe late, but surely will.
I Am
A segment of the anthology film deals with the misuse of Section 377. A man (Rahul Bose) is threatened by the police and blackmailed into giving a hefty sum of money as bribe. The story is not purely fictional but takes inspiration from many actual such incidents all over the country.
Fire
The film shows us two women (Nandita Das and Shabana Azmi) falling in love with each other. The controversial film sheds light on homosexuality being more than mere sexual acts with the same sex but an act of finding solace and love with the one that heart desires. The flak faced by the film back in the times tells us how little we have improved on the topic.
My Brother…Nikhil
The film poignantly portrays the stigma around homosexuality. The pain of LGBT community being ostracized over their preferences and the need to let go of the law written in the Victorian era comes alive on the screen. A gay couple (Sanjay Suri, Purab Kohli) faces the flak of their family, friends, and the law over their natural preference.
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