Ever since I became aware of my sexuality, I have wanted to see a Bollywood movie that is based on queer romance. A movie that has all the tropes of a Bollywood potboiler – a big family, songs, a love triangle and opposition to the couple’s relationship, just that the couple in this case would be gay/lesbian. Of course there have been gay/lesbian themed movies, but they have all had only tragic stories to tell. It was as if in Bollywood’s imagination, queer people could never achieve happiness in life. Queer people in these movies would either die (Aligarh), or get blackmailed, beaten or be guilt ridden. Where the gay couple did appear happy, they were never a part of the main storyline (the gay uncle in Veere Di Wedding). Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety could have been the gay romantic movie I had always desired, but the director remained shy from turning it into a gay romance between the lead actors.
But all this seems to be set to change, going by the trailer of ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga’. The movie is being directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and stars Anil Kapoor as the doting father of Sonam Kapoor. Rajkumar Rao is the lead actor. Like most Indian families, Anil Kapoor is looking to get her married to a guy. BUT. Sonam Kapoor doesn’t want to. At one point his brother asks Anil Kapoor, “Daddy, do you think he is having an affair with this guy?”
The script has been co-written by Ghazal Dhaliwal, whose journey of being a trans person was featured in Satyamev Jayate. With Ghazal on board, we do expect to see the issue handled sensitively. The movie releases on 1st February, and promises to be an “Most Unexpected Love Story of the Year”.