The Indian film industry seems to be on a gender-inclusive drive right now and looking at the current trends, it’s safe to assert that we are indeed on the right track. The trailer of Divya Dutta and Swara Bhasker starer same-sex love-story, Sheer Qorma, came out yesterday just five days after Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan‘s phenomenal reception at the box office. And while the latter explored the dynamics of same-sex love stories in a light-comic way, this one comes across as a hard-hitting, emotionally nuanced take on the subject.
Coming from the director of the internationally acclaimed film Sisak (India’s very silent LGBTQ film), Faraz Arif Ansari, the film has already generated significant buzz and the trailer of the film lives up to the expectations as well. Laced with the sweetness of its namesake dessert, Sheer Qorma navigates the emotional depths of the relationship shared by Saira (played by Divya) and Sitara (played by Swara) in the film. However, there’s also bitterness in the family, manifesting through the taboo against same-sex love. Shabana Azmi plays Divya’s mother in the film and she disapproves of their relationship as she calls it “unnatural” and “impious.”
Have you seen the trailer yet?
“Divya and Swara are two celebrated names in the industry and strong allies of the LGBTQ community. It was an easy decision to approach them. In fact, when I started writing the film, I had Divya in my mind, and already saw her playing this role,” Ansari said in a media statement.
Quite evidently, much deliberation has gone into the film’s casting as Shabana Azmi makes us look back at the days when her film, Fire, was released in 1996. And going by how the trailer is being received, it is safe to say that we have come a long way since then. The director is especially being appreciated for incorporating a non-binary character (Saira) in the film. In the trailer, Sitara can be seen referring to Saira as “they” and this looks like a great move towards raising awareness about the gender umbrella and initiating related conversations.
Pitched as a “Tale of Love and Acceptance,” the film takes a look into the difficulties of pursuing a relationship that’s deemed wrong by society and, more jarringly, by one’s own family. All in all, the trailer looks promising and it would be interesting to watch how the film facilitates the LGBTQ discourse in India.
Featured Image: Instagram
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