From Sonam Kapoor's lesbian turn to Ayushmann Khurrana turning homosexual: A-listers go off the beaten track in films

When Karan Johar was casting for Kapoor And Sons (2016), there was a point when he almost didn’t make the movie because nobody was keen to play a gay character. In an interview, he revealed as much. “We kept the film on the backburner for over a year. No one was willing to do Fawad Khan’s role. We went to six actors and after six rejections, I told Shakun (Batra, director) we should drop the idea and he started developing another screenplay. Later, on a flash, Fawad came to my mind. I sent him the script, he loved it and said he would do it.” The film went on to become a hit and the Pakistani actor won acclaim for his classy turn as a homosexual.

Cut to 2019, there’s a paradigm shift in the narrative and A-list actors like Akshay Kumar, Sonam K Ahuja and Ayushmann Khurrana are cutting teeth into hitherto taboo roles. 

(Akshay Kumar in Dishoom)

The Khiladi played a gay character in Dishoom (2016), and though it was a cameo, his sassy turn with a manbun got a thumbs up. He was the first commercial actor in his generation to play such a part, that too, in a mainstream film. He had reportedly regretted that his cameo was so short,  otherwise he ‘would have hung out with the beefcakes — Varun Dhawan and John Abraham forever,’ — who headlined the movie. Now, the superstar is embracing another forbidden role, that of a transgender, in Laxmmi Bomb, the remake of Tamil film Kanchana. Though actors like Sadashiv Amrapurkar and Paresh Rawal have portrayed such characters in the past — Sadak (1991) and Tamanna (1998) respectively, — no A-list actor has donned this avatar so far. Akshay plays a man possessed by a transgender ghost in the horror comedy. His kohl-eyed look in the poster already has people intrigued. 

(The poster of Laxmmi Bomb)

Another top star who pushed the envelope with her unconventional outing in recent times is Sonam. The actress played a lesbian, who is forced to keep her sexuality hidden due to the way the society perceives the LGBTQ community, in Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, which released earlier this year. The subject was handled sensitively, and with Sonam powering it, the movie was hailed as a huge step forward. While speaking to a publication at the Cannes Film Festival, the actress said she was not afraid of any backlash for playing a mainstream lesbian character. “I have been an advocate and supporter of LGBTQ. I don’t do it because I need to, but because that is my belief,” she said. 

(Sonam K Ahuja and Regina Cassandra in Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga)

Ayushmann, who is known for doing quirky roles is all set to topline a gay love story. In Shubh Mangal Zyaada Saavdhan, (a sequel to Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, 2017), the actor will play a homosexual. He said being a heterosexual, it will not be easy to essay such a character. “Playing a homosexual is going to be the toughest. Right now, we are looking for my boyfriend in the film. So, it will be great if you are a good actor and are sensitised towards the LGBTQ community,” he said in an interview. 

With mainstream actors no longer shying away from lending their name to offbeat characters, filmmakers are bringing out subjects that were only whispered behind closed doors once. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh attributes it to the changing times and the audience’s mindset. “Meaningful films are being made in the commercial format. They are incorporating real characters straight out of life and what is happening in the society. The LGBTQ community, or any other person we notice in society, is finding place in films. It’s a beautiful transition. Kudos to the actors for choosing to swim against the tide.”