Pride Month 2025: Bollywood’s bold leap from queer comic relief to empowerment

Bollywood’s journey in queer representation has shifted dramatically from stereotypical comic relief and tragic portrayals to narratives of empowerment and authenticity.

For decades, queer characters were marginalized, often depicted as jokes or victims. Shantanu Dhope, an Indian gay make-up artist and social media influencer, notes, “For the longest time queer characters in Indian cinema were either comic relief or tragedies. There’s been some progress but representation is still rare, and often doesn’t come from within the community.”

The 1996 film Fire, directed by Deepa Mehta, was a pioneering work that challenged societal norms by portraying a lesbian relationship, marking an early step toward more nuanced storytelling.

More recently, Bollywood has embraced queer themes more openly. Films like Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020) and Badhaai Do have brought gay romance and the message “love is love” to mainstream audiences.

Beyond cinema, web series and biopics such as Sushmita Sen’s Taali, based on transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant’s life, have been trailblazers in portraying the raw struggles of the transgender community.

This evolution reflects a broader cultural shift, moving from tokenism to genuine representation that tells queer stories without shame or stereotyping, signaling Bollywood’s bold leap ahead of Pride Month 2025.

Bollywood’s portrayal of queer characters has evolved from comic relief and tragedy to empowerment and authentic storytelling. Films like 'Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan' and 'Badhaai Do' highlight gay romance, while web series such as 'Taali' depict transgender struggles, marking a significant shift ahead of Pride Month 2025.