Breaking the Silence and Stigma on Gender & Sexuality - An Analysis of Popular Indian Cinema

Abstract

Gender and sexuality are the identity of an individual that establishes their social status. An understanding towards it and embracing the attributes associated with them is crucial. Since ages, gender and sexuality have set qualities, stereotypes and stigmas attached and carved around them. These act as the representations in society. It is also seen that acceptance and discussion beyond the usual norm/ belief is tabooed. Communication on gender and sexuality is very subtle when it is essential to be loud. Indian cinema does play a role in gender and sexual communication. Many a times it is aligning to the established norm while few do make an effort to delicately talk about changing perspectives. Post 2020, there are few popular Indian cinemas, that tried breaking the silence and stigmas by boldly establishing the shifting perceptions on gender and sexuality. They brought in the thought process on the need to alter the societal mindset in evading the stigmas constructed around gender and sexuality. The Qualitative content analysis of three movies post 2020 reveals the initiation of conversations by the movies on the tabooed gender and sexuality. They subtly communicated on the need for coming out of the stereotypes, breaking the silence than suffering and reflected the gradual shift in the social norms.