Pride Month 2021! 'Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan', 'Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga': B'wood films that addressed homophobia

Each year we get to see more varied and inspiring queer films. The filmmakers are not only including queer characters and storylines in films but also addressing homophobia. In Hollywood, there are films like 'Call Me by Your Name', 'The Favourite' and 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. Closer home, we have 'Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan', 'Margarita With A Straw' among others. Let's take a look at these films six that have defined homosexuality realistically. Have a look:

This film is based on the life of a gay man and his partner, who have trouble convincing the former's parents of their relationship. It is a spin-off to the 2017 film 'Shubh Mangal Saavdhan'. Jitendra Kumar aka Aman Tripathi (Ayushmann Khurrana) hails from an orthodox middle-class family in Allahabad. He falls in love with Kartik Singh and lives with him in Delhi. The film instantly became a hit for its powerful message of love and acceptance.

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'Fire' is one of the first mainstream Bollywood films to explicitly show homosexual relations and the first to feature a lesbian relationship. It is loosely based on Ismat Chughtai's 1942 story, 'Lihaaf' ('The Quilt'). Did you know there were several protests around issues such as homosexuality and freedom of speech? The movie also highlighted issues like the suppression of female sexuality where women are no more than objects.

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The storyline is based on the life of Professor Ramchandra Siras (Manoj Bajpayee) of Aligarh Muslim University, who gets suspended after he is caught having consensual sex with a rickshaw puller. He is contacted by a journalist Rajkummar Rao, who is sympathetic to him, and his case is taken up in court. He files a case in the Allahabad High Court in 2010 against the suspension and wins. However, days after the court verdict, he passes away.

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Helmed by Onir, this 2005 film is based on the life of the protagonist, Nikhil Kapoor and is set from 1987 to 1994, when AIDS awareness in India was considerably low. On finding that he is gay and HIV positive, an order of insults follow from his parents and friends. His sister Anu (Juhi Chawla and lover Nigel (Purab Kohli) are the only two people who support him. The film normalises a gay relationship. The heart-wrenching scenes and terrific performances of the cast make the movie very relevant even today.

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This 2014 film is about the efforts of a woman at exploring her sexual identity. It deals with the challenging concepts of sexuality, inclusion, self-love, and self-acceptance. Laila aka Kalki Koechlin finds the courage to come out to her mother about being bisexual and falling in love with a blind Pakistani girl (Sayani Gupta). The journey of Laila discovering her sexual orientation is worth a watch.

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Helmed by Shelly Chopra Dhar, Sonam Kapoor, and Rajkummar Rao-starrer 'Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga' is inspired by the 1919 novel 'A Damsel in Distress' by PG Wodehouse. The quintessential love story is packed with peppy songs, dances, and is set in a small town in Punjab. The story revolves around a family that is convinced that Sweety (Sonam Kapoor) is in love with a Muslim guy (Rajkummar Rao). The story takes a turn when Sweety confesses that she is in love with a girl. The film highlighted the emotional trauma, loneliness, and shame that the queer community goes through for coming out of the closet.

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