Assignment 204 : Queer Theory in Bollywood: Deconstructing Desire, Performance, and the Post-377 Landscape

 This blog is part of an assignment for Paper 204: Contemporary Western Theories and Film Studies (Assignment Details)

Personal Information:-

Name:- Krishna Vala

Batch:- M.A. Sem 3 (2024-2026)

Enrollment Number:- 5108240037

E-mail Address:- krishnavala2005@gmail.com

Roll Number:- 12

Assignment Details:-

Topic:-  Assignment 204 :Queer Theory in Bollywood: Deconstructing Desire, Performance, and the Post-377 Landscape

Paper & subject code:- Paper 204: Contemporary Western Theories and Film Studies

Submitted to:- Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar. 

Date of Submission:-  7 November,2025

Words : 2242

Table of contents:-

Abstract

I. Introduction

II. Theoretical Framework: Key Concepts and Critics

• Performativity and the Closet (Butler and Sedgwick)
• Queer Readings, Power, and the Diaspora (Foucault and Gopinath)

III. The Pre-Millennial Closet (1970s–1990s): Coded Invisibility 

• Homosociality and the Coded Gaze
• The Use of Performativity for Comic Relief and Villainy
• The Rupture of Fire (1996)

IV. The Post-Millennial Repertoire (2000s–2018): Explicit Visibility 

• Comic Misunderstandings and Homophobic Plot Devices
• Independent and Activist Cinema: Centring Dignity and Intersectionality
• Expanding the Queer Text: Celebrity and Homo-textuality

V. Normalization and Critique in Post-377 Bollywood (2019–Present)

• The Mainstream Push for Acceptance
• The Critique of Homonormativity

VI. Conclusion 

Abstract

This assignment argues that the journey of queer representation in Bollywood is a complex, three-stage evolution: from an initial era of coded invisibility and stereotyping (pre-2000), through a period of explicit but marginalized activist cinema (roughly 2000–2018), and culminating in the current, post-Section 377 phase of mainstream 'normalization'. By drawing upon the theoretical models of Gayatri Gopinath, Judith Butler, and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, this essay will analyze Bollywood’s evolving queer repertoire, which has been conceptually framed as being staged through the familial, the performative, and the activist. Ultimately, this analysis will critique the emerging phenomenon of homonormativity that defines much of the recent mainstream representation.

Words : 2242

I. Introduction

The cinematic landscape of Bollywood, the popular Hindi film industry, has historically functioned as a dominant cultural mechanism, consistently upholding a strict heteronormative vision of Indian society, familial structure, and national identity. For decades, non-normative sexualities have been systematically marginalized, typically relegated to the roles of the caricature, the villain, or the source of fleeting comic relief. The application of Queer Theory offers a vital critical lens to move beyond literal, surface-level representation, allowing for an examination of how these mainstream narratives—and the counter-narratives that resist them—construct, suppress, or subvert the presence of LGBTQ+ identities. Queer Theory, in its refusal of fixed categories of sex, gender, and desire, provides the analytical framework to uncover subtle subtexts, read homosocial bonds as homoerotic, and analyze the pervasive societal influence of the closet in Indian culture.

II. Theoretical Framework: Key Concepts and Critics 

Queer Theory provides the necessary tools to deconstruct Bollywood’s deeply entrenched heteronormative discourse by questioning the very nature of identity and power.

1. Performativity and the Closet (Butler and Sedgwick)

Judith Butler’s concept of Performativity is central, suggesting that gender and sexuality are not inherent biological traits but rather socially constructed through the repeated performances of norms and behaviours. In Bollywood, this is evident in how non-normative characters are often compelled to perform exaggerated, “deviant” stereotypes—like the effeminate man as a joke—to maintain the illusion of heterosexual stability in the main plot. This process of performance reinforces negative stereotypes and contributes to the marginalization of the community within the cinematic landscape.

Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick’s Epistemology of the Closet offers valuable insights, describing the pervasive influence of heteronormativity and the forced concealment of non-normative desires and identities within societal structures. The concept highlights the central role of concealment in shaping queer experience in a culture where heterosexuality is the perceived default. However, a queer reading can transform the closet from a site of shameful hiding into a powerful site of deliberate subterfuge, allowing for the revelation of a concealed queer narrative beneath the surface of the text. The entire structure of the classic Bollywood family melodrama depends on the maintenance of this closet.

2. Queer Readings, Power, and the Diaspora (Foucault and Gopinath)

Michel Foucault’s analysis of power dynamics and knowledge production helps illuminate how traditional cinematic portrayals in Bollywood reinforce heteronormative power structures and perpetuate the Othering of LGBTQ+ individuals. By depicting queer characters as deviations from the norm or as threats to the social order, Hindi cinema perpetuates the idea that heterosexuality is both default and superior. Furthermore, the seemingly peripheral queer spaces—such as a brothel or a female-only space—within mainstream Indian cinema can be read as Foucauldian heterotopias—counter-sites that simultaneously represent, contest, and invert the real societal norms found within the culture.

Gayatri Gopinath’s scholarship is central to analyzing queer Bollywood, particularly through her concept of the Queer Diasporic Viewing Frame. Gopinath argues that cinematic images which, in their originary Indian context, simply reiterate conventional, nationalist, and gender ideologies, may be re-fashioned to become the foundation of a queer transnational subjectivity when viewed by a queer diasporic audience. This frame allows for a subversive reading of traditionally homosocial relationships (like intense male bonding, or yaarana) as homoerotic. This act of queering allows non-heteronormative characters to appropriate traditional cultural frames to resist being silenced.

III. The Pre-Millennial Closet (1970s–1990s): Coded Invisibility 

Prior to the new millennium, Bollywood navigated same-sex desire primarily through coding, comedy, and outright villainy. This cinematic era was heavily constrained by the colonial-era Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalized homosexuality, a law that enforced a culture of postcolonial amnesia regarding non-normative traditions.

1. Homosociality and the Coded Gaze

Traditional Bollywood often privileged narratives of intense male bonding (dosti or yaarana), which can be read with a "hyper-romantic flare". In films like Zanjeer (1973), the cop-turned-vigilante Vijay and Sher Khan's relationship is depicted with an intensity that transcends mere friendship. Literary critic Hoshang Merchant suggests that in many early films, the female lead is often present only to lessen the homosexual sting of the central male bond. These subtexts demonstrate the pervasive function of Sedgwick's epistemology of the closet in action, where the physical closeness and emotional intensity between men is permissible only as long as it is not explicitly named as desire.

2. The Use of Performativity for Comic Relief and Villainy

The temporary disruption of the gender binary was typically exploited as a source of slapstick comedy. The convention of having male actors cross-dress (e.g., Rishi Kapoor in Rafoo Chakkar (1975) or Amitabh Bachchan in Laawaris (1981)) was common. Queer theory highlights how these cross-dressing scenes momentarily destabilize the gender binary, even if the scene’s climax typically involves the actor stripping off the drag to display their "macho virility" and restore heterosexual order. This process serves the other  non-normative by making it ridiculous and temporary.

The third gender (hijra or transgender individuals) was the most visible non-normative representation, but almost always reduced to a flat, negative stereotype. They were depicted either as figures of comic ridicule or, more sinisterly, as dangerous antagonists. For example, the transgender character in Sadak (1991) is depicted as completely evil, reinforcing negative societal prejudices and contributing to the community's marginalization within the cinematic landscape.

3. The Rupture of Fire (1996)

Deepa Mehta's Fire (1996) represents a critical landmark and a moment of rupture in Indian queer  cinema. It was one of the first films to explicitly depict a lesbian relationship in a mainstream context, portraying the love between two sisters-in-law, Radha and Sita, who find companionship amidst patriarchal loneliness and neglect. The film was highly controversial and faced protests by Hindu fundamentalists, leading to bans. Fire is a powerful example of queer-feminist critique because it challenged patriarchy by presenting a space where women’s sexual desire existed independently of and in opposition to male authority, thus "disrupting the comfort levels of the so-called regular, family lives". The subsequent backlash led to public dialogue around sexuality and civil rights, spurring the formation of the lesbian rights group, the Campaign for Lesbian Rights (CALERI), which held peaceful gatherings across India.

IV. The Post-Millennial Repertoire (2000s–2018): Explicit Visibility 

The 2000s saw an increase in queer visibility, propelled by a globalizing Indian diaspora, shifting urban attitudes, and the emergence of an independent cinema circuit that consciously produced queer-identified films.

1. Comic Misunderstandings and Homophobic Plot Devices

The mainstream industry’s initial attempts at incorporating queer themes utilized same-sex desire as a plot device for comedy, centering on the misunderstanding of the closet. Films like Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) and Dostana (2008) exemplify this problematic trend.

• In Dostana (2008), the entire humor rests on the shocked realization of the parental figures and the characters' eventual return to heterosexual pursuits. Critics noted that such portrayals did nothing but fuel hatred and mock homosexual rights, relying on reductive stereotypes of gay characters whose life goal is reduced to hitting on strangers. The portrayal of same-sex attraction in these films is regulated by the dominant discourse of heteronormativity.

2. Independent and Activist Cinema: Centring Dignity and Intersectionality

In stark contrast, the independent film circuit focused on providing sensitive, realistic, and humanizing portraits of the community. These films often highlighted the intersectionality of queer identity with other social challenges like illness, discrimination, and family rejection.

• My Brother...Nikhil (2005): Inspired by the life of an AIDS activist, this film was pathbreaking for its measured script detailing the systemic prejudice faced by a swimming champion diagnosed with HIV, offering a positive portrayal of support from his sister and his boyfriend, Nigel. The film was significant in opening the door for future LGBTQ+ films.

• Aligarh (2015): Directed by Hansal Mehta, this powerful biographical drama is based on the true story of a professor suspended for his sexual orientation. The film effectively explores the intersectionality of the protagonist’s marginalized status as a gay man with his low social class within the academic hierarchy. Aligarh focused less on the character’s sexual life and more on his dignity and loneliness, ultimately garnering positive reviews from the media and the LGBTQ+ community.

• Margarita with a Straw (2014): This film added a layer of disability to the queer text, giving a dignified portrayal of a bisexual woman with cerebral palsy on a journey of sexual and self-discovery, demonstrating that the protagonist is not dependent on able-bodied people.

     

3. Expanding the Queer Text: Celebrity and Homo-textuality

Beyond the film text itself, scholars like Pawan Singh argue that the idea of Queer Bollywood must expand to include celebrity gossip and talk shows as discursive sites for the mining of queer meanings. Celebrity culture, particularly in talk shows like Koffee with Karan, proliferates homo-textuality and same-sex desire through witty innuendo and banter, even when the stars are straight or the film being promoted is conservative. This celebrity discourse facilitates the staging of sexuality through the performative by making queer a part of popular, aspirational culture.

V. Normalization and Critique in Post-377 Bollywood (2019–Present) 

The watershed 2018 Supreme Court ruling that decriminalized homosexuality (striking down Section 377) prompted a swift paradigm shift in mainstream Bollywood. This new era is defined by films that focus on familial acceptance and the push to be "just like everyone else," aiming to normalize same-sex love while appealing to mass audiences.

1. The Mainstream Push for Acceptance

The post-377 films began to focus on individual rights and consciously portraying same-sex relationships as respectable and civil. These films represent a conscious effort to stage sexuality through the familial.

• Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (2019): This film was significant for casting a major star (Sonam Kapoor Ahuja) in the role of a lesbian woman. The narrative focuses heavily on the protagonist's journey of coming out to her conservative Punjabi family and centered the argument on the universal right to love and familial acceptance. The struggle is framed not just by sexual orientation but by societal expectations related to family honor.

• Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020): This gay romantic-comedy, featuring superstar Ayushmann Khurrana, was intentionally targeted for the average Indian homophobe. The film depicts the struggles of a gay couple to convince the partner’s family of their love, with the plot culminating in the patriarch's reluctant acceptance, who states he may not understand their love but wants them to live the life they desire.

• Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui (2021): This film was significant for its portrayal of a trans woman as a romantic lead. While criticized for casting a cis woman, the film charts the evolution of the cis-male protagonist from initial visceral disgust upon learning his partner is a trans woman, to eventual acceptance and defense, thereby engaging directly with the complexities of gender identity and the social construction of womanhood.

   

2. The Critique of Homonormativity

While these mainstream films represent a massive leap in visibility, queer critics caution that this push for the "just like everyone else" narrative risks promoting homonormativity. Homonormativity refers to the assimilation of queer life into dominant heterosexual norms, often revolving around the sanctity of marriage, family, caste, and middle-class respectability.

• Films like Badhaai Do (2022), which features a lavender marriage (a marriage of convenience between a gay man and a lesbian woman), simultaneously criticizes the need for conformity while adhering to the strictures of caste and marital traditions. This highlights a tension in contemporary Bollywood: the fight for civil rights (like adoption) alongside the upholding of conservative family structures.

• Moreover, the drive towards hyper visibility often leads to a failure to delineate the specific distinctions between the diverse LGBTQ+ identities, resulting in a generalized, and sometimes flattened, representation of the community. The emphasis on respectability politics potentially silences the voices and experiences that do not conform to the idealized, assimilated, middle-class queer life.

VI. Conclusion 

The history of queer representation in Bollywood, when analyzed through the lens of Queer Theory, reveals a continuous and dynamic site of negotiation over desire, identity, and the moral boundaries of the nation’s cultural imagination. From the subtle, coded homosociality and outright comedic performativity of the closeted decades, to the ethical and necessary activist narratives of independent cinema, Bollywood has both reflected and influenced India’s shifting conversation on sexuality.

Today, the mainstream's pursuit of the "just like everyone else" visibility is a significant cultural marker, largely facilitated by the post-Section 377 legal landscape, as demonstrated by films like Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan. However, this shift mandates a careful queer-feminist critique to safeguard against the assimilationist risks of homonormativity. Future scholarship must continue to explore the intersectionality of queerness with caste, class, and religion, and analyze the expanding textuality of Bollywood that includes celebrity gossip and digital platforms. The sustained queer theoretical gaze on Bollywood remains essential not just for understanding cinema, but for documenting the fundamental struggle for sexual and gender dignity in contemporary India.

References

Advani, Nikhil, director. Kal Ho Naa Ho. Dharma Productions, 2003.

Agarwal, Charu. From Awareness to Acceptance: The Queering Of Bollywood, www.researchgate.net/profile/Dr-Kolanchery/publication/291164289_Global_English-Oriented_Research_Journal_GEORJDec_2015/links/569e7d0408ae4af525446f46/Global-English-Oriented-Research-Journal-GEORJ-Dec-2015.pdf#page=56. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025. 

Arora, Anupama, and Nikki P Sylvia. “Just like Everyone Else:” Queer Representation in Postmillennial Bollywood, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2023.2201398. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025. 

Bedi, Narender, director. Rafoo Chakkar. 1975.

Bhatt, Mahesh, director. Sadak. Vishesh Films, 1991.

Bose, Shonali, director. Margarita with a Straw. Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Ishan Talkies, 2014.

Dhar, Shelly Chopra, director. Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga. Vinod Chopra Films, 2019.

Kapoor, Abhishek, director. Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui. T-Series Films, Guy in the Sky Pictures, 2021.

Kulkarni, Harshavardhan, director. Badhaai Do. Junglee Pictures, 2022.

Mansukhani, Tarun, director. Dostana. Dharma Productions, 2008.

Mehra, Prakash, director. Laawaris. 1981.

Mehra, Prakash, director. Zanjeer. Asha Studios, Chandivali Studio, Filmistan Studio, R.K. Studios, Swati Studios, 1973.

Mehta, Deepa, director. Fire. Kaleidoscope Entertainment, Trial by Fire Films, 1996.

Mehta, Hansal, director. Aligarh. Eros International, Karma Pictures, 2015.

Onir, director. My Brother...Nikhil. Four Front Films, 2005.

Prasanna, R. S., director. Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. Colour Yellow Productions, Eros International, 2017.

Singh, Pawan. Queer Bollywood: The Homotextuality of Celebrity Talk Show Gossip, cinema.usc.edu/spectator/34.1/3_Singh.pdf. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025. 

Singh, Pawan. Staging Sexuality through the Familial, the Performative and the Activist: Bollywood’s Queer Repertoire in the Twenty-First Century, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14746689.2015.1087108. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025. 

Varma, Manish. Amity Journal of Media & Communication Studies Vol 7,No1, Jan 2017, www.researchgate.net/publication/316956812_Amity_Journal_of_Media_Communication_Studies_Vol_7No1_Jan_2017. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.