Feel-good LGBT Bollywood movie (Badhaai Do)

[Anonymous]

If anyone else needs a cute LGBT movie to watch this weekend, I strongly recommend Badhaai Do. It’s even on Netflix!

I loved how upbeat and positive (but also realistic) this movie was. As a lesbian who thought I had to make a similar choice as the female lead, I felt very seen.

NYT review:

Harshavardhan Kulkarni’s “ Badhaai Do” is the rarest of things in mainstream Indian cinema: a film that deploys the full force of Bollywood entertainment — song and dance, family-friendly comedy, swooning melodrama — in service of a bracing L.G.B.T.Q.-rights message. Gay sex was only decriminalized in India in 2018; same-sex marriage still awaits legalization, as does the right of gay citizens to adopt children.

“Badhaai Do” folds these pressing issues into a rollicking story about two closeted 30-somethings. Shardul (Rajkummar Rao) is a reluctant policeman with a penchant for bodybuilding (“Have you watched ‘RoboCop?’ Well I’m HomoCop!”); Sumi (Bhumi Pednekar) is a gym teacher who spends her free time swiping on lesbian dating apps. To pacify their nagging families, the two decide to get married, live together as roommates and pursue their true romantic desires in private. But complications continue post-wedding, too, as they struggle to find love while keeping up an elaborate facade.

A poignant buddy comedy at its core, “Badhaai Do” balances a commitment to both realism and optimism. Even as the film details the social and bureaucratic challenges that constrict the daily lives of queer Indians, it demonstrates that a kinder and more equitable world is within reach. A climactic scene takes place at a Pride Parade: a vibrant, explosive vision that emphasizes that the demand for equality is often, quite simply, a demand for joy.


https://www.netflix.com/title/81350338

[Anonymous]

Thanks PP! Indian-American and would love to watch this.

If you haven't seen Dostana, it's a lot of fun. Tropes/ stereotypes are a bit dated (it's 15 yrs old) but if you go in with the right attitude it's fun and light hearted.

[Anonymous]

OP I just watched this and absolutely loved it. Heard about it from your post and had it on my list - thank you!