Barun Sobti to headline queer love story in Onir’s LGBTQ+ film 'Tumhari Khushboo' - Reports

National Award-winning filmmaker Onir is returning to queer storytelling with his upcoming LGBTQ+ short film ‘Tumhari Khushboo’, featuring Barun Sobti alongside visually impaired performer Shashi Bhushan. Known for pushing boundaries in mainstream Hindi cinema, the director earlier made waves with ‘My Brother... Nikhil’, one of Bollywood’s earliest empathetic portrayals of HIV/AIDS and same-sex love. His new project promises another deeply humane narrative that foregrounds voices rarely represented on screen. The film aims to blend intimacy with realism while exploring identity through a unique sensory lens.According to OTTPlay, the film centers on Sunil, a visually impaired masseur whose world shifts after he encounters Kamran. Bhushan plays Sunil, while Sobti, fresh off acclaim for ‘Kohrra Season 2’, portrays the sports instructor who initially visits as a client. Their bond develops in a realm where conventional visual cues fade away, replaced by touch, sound, and scent. The narrative explores how affection can flourish beyond sight, expressed through quiet gestures and sensory awareness. It is positioned as an intimate love story that prioritizes emotional truth over spectacle. Penned by Ravi Asrani, the script delves into the seldom-depicted overlap between queerness and disability. Rather than framing its protagonist through limitation, the film emphasizes agency, dignity, and self-reliance. Onir highlights that such intersectional narratives are largely absent from Indian cinema, making this project especially significant. By centering lived experience, the story attempts to replace stereotypes with nuance and empathy.Against the bustling backdrop of Mumbai, the relationship between Sunil and Kamran evolves gradually from professional interaction to personal connection. Their intimacy is portrayed as emerging through heightened sensory perception rather than visual attraction. Filmed over three months at real locations, including an operational massage centre run by visually impaired therapists and Bhushan’s own residence, the short aims for documentary-like authenticity.