Section 377 Gone: These Actors Broke The Glass Ceiling & Dared to Play Shades of Rainbow!

On 6th September 2018, the entire nation welcomed the historic judgement to decriminalize section 377. The Supreme Court ruled that consensual sexual relations between adults of the same gender is not a crime in India. A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court delivered the landmark verdict in four separate but concurring opinions. 

Section 377 is a section of the Indian Penal Code which was introduced during the colonial era. It makes sexual activities "against the order of nature" illegal, which not only affected LGBTQ community but also the rest, questioning the right to privacy of individuals. However, the verdict of 2018 changed the scenario and brought a new ray of light for people from the LGBTQ community.

Commemorating the path-breaking judgement, we have compiled a list of Television actors who have left stereotypical characters to portray characters based from the LGBTQ community. 

Take a look :

1. Rubina Diliak in Shakti Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki

Actress Rubina Diliak has garnered a lot of praise for her portrayal of Soumya in Colors’ Shakti Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki. She is playing an intersex, a person who is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit the typical definitions of female or male. Such individuals are also called as eunuchs. In the show, Saumya is shown as a sweet and simple girl, who along with her husband fights against the heteronormative norms of the society. Shakti is one of the few shows on Indian Television, which has showcased a female actor essaying such a character on-screen.

2. Priyal Gor in Maya

Actress Priyal Gor who is known for playing bubbly characters stunned everyone with her role in Producer Vikram Bhatt’s Maya 2. In the mini series, she portrayed a lesbian who dared to fall in love with another girl in a society where it is not considered normal. It was one of her best performances till date and we totally loved her in Maya 2.

3. Meiyang Chang in Voot's Untag

Meiyang Chang starred in Voot’s original series titled Untag wherein he played a homosexual dude. The series celebrated individuality and showcased how people are forced to live with harmless but imposed tags.

4. Vishwajit Pradhan in Ek Boond Ishq

Senior actor Vishwajit Pradhan who has acted in several Bollywood films and even Television shows essayed the role of a eunuch in Life Ok’s Ek Boond Ishq. He played a character with a dual personality - Kalavati and Thakur Rudra Pratap. While Kalavati was a powerful and mysterious eunuch, who preferred to keep her identity a secret, Rudra was an influential and responsible man. Though the show was not that popular it is still remembered for Vishwajit’s strong performance.

5. Ashish Sharma in Khejdi

Ashish Sharma’s critically acclaimed Khejdi narrates the story of a transgender named Khejdi, born in a small village of Rajasthan. The movie depicts the lonely life of young Khejdi, locked up in her home all her life. The movie shows the mindset of people who make it difficult for such individuals to live in a society. Ashish nailed it with his impeccable performance in the movie.

6. Daksh Ajit Singh in Maryada Lekin Kab Tak?

Actor Daksh Ajit Singh is best known for his role in Star Plus’ Maryada Lekin Kab Tak? In the show, he played a gay person who is forced to marry a woman to save his family’s so-called reputation. Though he was not the lead but his character was of utmost prominence in the show. The show reveals the dark reality of rich and educated families, who instead of accepting a person’s sexuality, puts pressure on an individual to remain in the proverbial closet.

We feel extremely proud of these actors and also others we forgot to mention for bringing characters of people, who are equally important as an individual and as citizens of the country into light. It’s high time and we need to talk about sexuality and be open about it.