Ever wondered why Bollywood has struggled so much with portraying gay characters accurately? Let’s explore this journey from ridicule to respect!

Bollywood LGBTQ movies have a long history of misrepresenting gay characters. For instance, in "Raja Hindustani" (1996), a minor character was portrayed with exaggerated effeminate traits for comic relief. This kind of Bollywood gay portrayal was quite common and cringe-worthy.

In the early 2000s, films like "Kal Ho Naa Ho" (2003) and "Dostana" (2008) played into stereotypes for laughs, showing how homosexuality was often treated as a joke. "Kal Ho Naa Ho" featured Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan in a scene where they are mistaken for a gay couple, while "Dostana" had John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan pretending to be gay to rent an apartment. Although these films introduced some dialogue about homosexuality, they still depicted gay relationships as something to be laughed at.

Moving into the 2010s, Bollywood LGBTQ+ evolution began with films like "Aligarh" (2016) and "Kapoor & Sons" (2016). "Aligarh" sensitively portrayed the struggles of a gay professor, while "Kapoor & Sons" depicted a more realistic and relatable coming-out story with Fawad Khan’s character. These films marked a significant shift in Bollywood LGBTQ+ narrative, focusing on dignity and empathy rather than sensationalism.

More recent films like "Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga" (2019) and "Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan" (2020) have taken Bollywood LGBTQ+ representation further. "Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga" handled the topic of a lesbian woman struggling to come out to her conservative family with grace, while "Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan" showcased a gay couple fighting for acceptance without compromising their dignity.

Bollywood LGBTQ+ acceptance has indeed come a long way. From outright mockery to genuine, respectful portrayals, the journey hasn’t been easy. We've seen the shift from caricatures and stereotypes to nuanced, authentic characters that reflect the real experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals. Movies like "Badhaai Do" (2022) continue this trend, further normalizing and celebrating diverse sexual orientations.

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