Pride Month is being celebrated at present. It started from June 1 and will run till June 30. Pride Month is dedicated to the LGBTQ community. During this time, various types of programs, parades, marches and discussions are organised for LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies to unite and raise their voice. Several films have also been made in Bollywood, in which the stories related to the LGBTQ+ community have been shown and talked about. Moreover, several A-list Bollywood actors and actresses have played characters belonging to the LGBTQ+ community on screen. Let's have a look at them here.
Manoj Bajpayee
In Hansal Mehta's 2015 film 'Aligarh', Manoj Bajpayee played the character of an elderly professor named Srinivas Ramachandra Siras, who happens to be homosexual. Rajkummar Rao has also appeared in an important role in the film. Manoj Bajpayee's acting in this film was well-liked. The film also received a lot of appreciation.
Sharmila Tagore
Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore made a comeback in films after a long time with the 2023 film 'Gulmohar'. In this film, she played the character of a widow named Kusum Batra, who is the head of her house. In this film, Sharmila Tagore's character is a lesbian, which is revealed at the end of the film. Sharmila said that she was very nervous playing this character.
Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar
Rajkummar Rao, who has played different types of characters in his career, played the character of a gay man in the 2022 film 'Badhaai Do'. The woman whom Rajkummar Rao's character marries in the film is also a lesbian. This was played by Bhumi Pednekar and both of them were applauded for their realistic portrayal.
Bollywood's 'Dhak Dhak Girl' Madhuri Dixit played the character of a lesbian woman in the 2022 film 'Maja Ma', who marries while hiding her secret. However, at the end of the film, she reveals that she is a lesbian.
Ayushmann Khurrana and Jitendra Kumar
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, known for doing films on social issues, has also played a homosexual on screen and has raised the issue of the LGBTQ community through his film. Ayushmann and Jitendra Kumar played the role of gay men in 'Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan', released in 2020.
After the LGBTQ community was recognised in India, homosexuality was talked about in Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao's film 'Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga' released in 2019. Sonam Kapoor played the role of a lesbian girl in the film. However, the film could not do any wonders at the box office.