June is here and so is Pride Month! It looks like this time, Netflix users in India are paying special attention to acknowledge the month of the LGBTQ+ community!
Even though Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was decriminalised, conversations around this topic remain uncomfortable. To spread awareness, the Indian entertainment industry decided to step up by coming up with a few shows and web series centered around the idea of normalising and accepting the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) community.
One such film is ‘Badhaai Do‘, a romance-comedy drama released in 2022. After a decent run at the box office, it was released on Netflix in March. Even though it was not a commercial success, it was praised by the critics. The story revolves around the concept of ‘lavender marriage’, a cover-up marriage between a homosexual man and a homosexual woman to hide their identities from the society. Rajkumar Rao plays a gay cop and Bhumi Pednekar plays a lesbian sports teacher. They enter into a marriage of convenience due to family pressure. Keeping their identities hidden becomes difficult post their marriage when Suman’s (Bhumi) girlfriend comes to stay with the newly wed couple.
‘Badhaai Do’ bagged the first spot in the trending list of Netflix soon after its release on the platform but later disappeared. Three months later, it is trending in ‘Top 10 movies in India today’ on the 8th spot. It seems like two days into Pride Month has made the Netflix viewers in India a little emotional. With so many photos, articles, and flags around, it seems like viewers are taking a conscious and concrete step towards normalising the LGBTQ+ community, starting from accepting the idea of gay love, as shown in ‘Badhaai Do’.
As mentioned earlier, conversations around this topic are still difficult in India but this recent development on Netflix is like a ray of hope. It is safe to say that the efforts of the entertainment industry are showing positive results. There’s only little progress among Indians but slow progress is much better than no progress. We sincerely hope that more such movies and shows come out, telling more such heartwarming stories. Meanwhile, you can watch the content already available on OTT. Let’s all celebrate, together!
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