Pride month is the symbol for the acknowledgment and acceptance of the honour of the LGBTQ+ community members. A big reason for India as a country to understand and accept that ‘Love is Love’, are Indian OTT platforms. Storytellers have played a key role in spreading awareness that regardless of gender and sexuality, everyone in the world has a right to live their lives as freely as anyone else. OTT platforms have served us very relatable and lovable queer characters with amazing storylines. Indian OTT has done a good job in normalizing alternate sexualities and giving them space in Indian households. Here is the list of five beautifully written Queer characters from the Indian web series, who ended up stealing the spotlight of the show, even from the lead characters in some cases!
- ‘Umang’ played by Bani J in ‘Four More Shots, Please’ (Amazon Prime Video)
‘Four more shots please’ was all over the place after it’s release. Among the four female leads, was ‘Umang’ (played by Bani J) a strong, independent and carefree bisexual girl, with her own sets of ambiguity. This very characteristic which made Umang such a relatable character made the world fall in love with the fictional character. Umang was the first Bi-sexual character on the screen with such finesse. As the show progressed, people began to hope to find a friend like ‘Umang’ in their lives.
- ‘Karan Mehra’ played by Arjun Mathur in ‘Made in Heaven’ (Amazon Prime Video)
Karan, a gay man living in a country where homosexuality is illegal, is a Delhi based wedding planner who works with a girl named Tara. The internet went head over heels when Arjun Mathur played the gay character in Made in Heaven. His portrayal of a poised matured man in a complex world won the masses and the critics lauded Karan Mehra. Karan’s quest for love was too relatable to the audience and the character was simply, ‘AMAZING’.
3. ‘Peeplika’ played by Monica Dogra in ‘The Married Woman’ (ALTBalaji)
Peeplika, from ‘The Married Woman’ was one of the many iconic gay characters introduced to us by ALTBalaji. Peeplika is an unconventional artist and has never been impressed by normal routines in her life. Coming across a housewife, Astha changes things for her as the characters soon discover an intense connection with each other, something that they had always longed for. It’s very entertaining to see such a beautifully woven love story play out in the midst of the riots after the Babri Masjid demolition, which horrified the nation. ALTBalaji maintains its place in the Indian Film Industry by being one of the few platforms to give the masses a variety of lovable characters.
4. ‘Preet’ played by Mrinal Dutt in ‘His Storyy’ (ALTBalaji)
In ALTBalaji’s urban relationship drama ‘His Storyy’, that released earlier this year, Mrinal played a gay character Preet. A married man with a well settled life and kids, falls in love with Kunal, a man. The way Mrinal played the character, just like Kunal, the viewers couldn’t help but fall in love with Preet. The chemistry between Preet and Kunal was very well written and the actors too demonstrated impeccable expressions. The chemistry between Mrinal and Satydeep Mishra is superb and both look brilliant in their roles. Mrinal looks amazing and he holds his emotions brilliantly.
5.‘Boris’ played by Milind Soman in ‘Paurashpur’ (ALTBalaji)
‘Boris’ was the fan favourite among the many transgender people who played a pivotal role in the magnum opus drama Paurashpur released on ALTBalaji. A fictional third gender whimsical character from medieval times was a delight in itself. Milind Soman, an already celebrated actor played one of the key characters in the ultimate battle of the sexes to win the war being waged against gender equality. Just like every other mentioned character, Boris was absolutely adored by the audience.