Laila To Sita: Six Adored Queer Characters Of The Indian Cinema

Over the years Indian films attempted to work towards better queer representation on screen and while some attempts have fallen short, there are some adored queer characters that audiences love to this day. These adored queer characters are admired by audiences for their personality and their character traits such as bravery, kindness, determination, and assertiveness.

It's important to have queer representation, but it's even more important to have queer representation done right. Having a queer character only to stereotype them and use them as punchlines to jokes is not a good representation of the queer community. These adored queer characters are not pigeonholed into a box and are allowed to be human.

During Pride month we take a look back into Indian media and celebrate some of the beloved and adored queer characters that graced us with their fictional presence. Language does not serve as a barrier when it comes to love or to film. From silent films to Tamil films to Hindi films, these adored queer characters are from a variety of Indian films.

Adored Queer Characters In Indian Cinema

Laila Kapoor – Margarita with a Straw

Played by Kalki Koechlin, Laila Kapoor is a bisexual teenager with cerebral palsy studying at Delhi University. After receiving a scholarship for a semester’s study at New York University, she moves to Manhattan and lives with her mother. There she meets Khanum, a blind girl with whom she falls in love.

Laila’s journey and experience with exploring her sexuality and her relationships with her mother and Khanum are a treat to watch. Laila is unapologetically herself and doesn't let fear stop her from making decisions, making her one of the most adored queer characters in Indian cinema.

Leads of Sisak

Sisak is India’s first silent queer film. It short film stars Jitin Gulati and Dhruv Singhal as two men who take the same Mumbai local train home. Without communicating with words or physical touch, the two leads communicate their attraction and their “love at first sight” through eye contact only.

The two leads serve as a blank canvas, all the audience knows about them is that they like each other. This allows people to fill in the blanks about who the two leads are, what they are feeling, and what they are thinking. Even though the two were silent throughout the movie, they served as compelling characters that the audience could easily relate to.
Sisak speaks of a universal emotion, love, through the lens of the queer leads.

Bharti Mandal – Geeli Puchi, Ajeeb Dastaans

Konkona Sen Sharma plays the role of Bharti Mandal in anthology film Ajeeb Dastaans. The short film Geeli Puchi introduces us to Bharti, a worker at a factory. The qualified Bharti is aiming to get a higher-paying job as a data operator. After the unqualified Priya Sharma (played by Aditi Rao Hydari) gets the position instead of Bharti, she is informed by a co-worker that she was not promoted due to her caste.

The hardworking and talented Bharti is not given the opportunities she deserves due to caste discrimination, yet she manages to achieve her goal and receives a promotion by the end of the short film. The similarities and differences between Bharti and Priya are also delightful, as their queerness binds them together, but their differing experiences castes serve as a divider.

Sita – Fire

Sita, played by Nandita Das is trapped in a loveless marriage with her husband Jatin, who is dating his girlfriend. Jatin lives in a joint-family-arrangement and Sita spends her days doing household work and tending to her mother-in-law.
Her sister-in-law Radha, played by Shabana Azmi suffers through a similar frustrating marriage and life and has become subdued over the years.

Sita refuses to be subdued into silence and her attitude and assertiveness help Radha become more assertive.
Sita’s refusal to sink into her bland and monotonous life makes her a character worth rooting for. Her personality and refusal to let her needs to ignored motivates not only Radha but also the audience.

Meera – Peranbu

Played by Anjali Ameer, Meera is one of the few Indian films to have a transgender character be played by a transgender actor.
The Tamil film's lead character Amu, played by Mammootty is struggling to provide for his daughter with a heart condition and is disheartened by the betrayals and hardship he and his daughter have faced. Amu meets Meera and the two quickly bond. Meera even helps him find a home.

After facing more hardships, Amu is prepared to end his life and his daughter’s life, but Meera serves as a beacon of light and saves them. The two later get married and live a happy life as a family.
Meera’s kindness and generosity made her a compelling character and her bond with Amu and his daughter was heartwarming to see.

Suggested Reading: Bollywood Is Reworking Its Portrayal Of LGBTQ+, But Is That Enough?