“There is no reason to assume that gender also ought to remain as two. The presumption of a binary gender system implicitly retains the belief in a mimetic relation of gender to sex whereas gender mirrors sex or is otherwise restricted by it.” (Judith Butler, Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity). The emergence of the discussion on LGBTQA+ in the recent years has made its presence felt in every sphere, even mainstream cinema. Speaking of mainstream cinema, boasting of a massive fan following since time immemorial is Bollywood. If we begin by tracing the trajectory of mainstream Bollywood cinema, the overwhelming prominence of heteronormativity cannot be denied at any cost. The dominant cult of this inevitably existent form finds its footprints in ‘most of mainstream Bollywood’ for that matter. Earlier, the main character demography of a classic Bollywood film comprised a hero and heroine showcasing heterosexual and heteroromantic characteristic traits only. However, the recent discussions have inflicted some standardization in regard to the portrayal of LGBTQA+ of which we saw in films like Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhaan, Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, Ek Ladki ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga and Badhaai Do. The dexterity is still that of a novice and the trials and tribulations are many, but this still feels like a breath of fresh air going by the box office numbers. Withstanding that, the otherwise continuous problematic portrayal of LGBTQA+ throughout the years of mainstream Bollywood cinema laden with sexism, racism and jokes directly targeted at the queer community, makes one gap and wonder if this misrepresentation has been deliberately done on purpose. Both veracity of their portrayal and the acute stigma surrounding their character graph is noticeable. In this paper, we will look into the course of mainstream Bollywood cinema and discuss how their queer representation has shaped over the years.
Assistant Professor of English, Uttar Banga Maheshwari College, Siliguri
