Badhaai Do (2022) India

A gay cop and a lesbian teacher enter a sham marriage to pacify their families but find that relationships—both real and fake—aren’t all that easy.

Why do I like it? Why do I recommend it?

Made in a typical Bollywood style, I enjoyed how over-the-top dramatic this movie was. And the comedy in this film was refreshing and felt organic; I laughed so many times!
If you love soap operas or telenovelas then you’ll have a great time with this one. The twist and turns of the story were so entertaining. The dancing and music were also amazing to watch. But what I probably enjoyed most was just how connected I felt to the characters.

Despite the comedic way it was presented, the amount of stress, pressure, and hiding that the queer characters in the film faced was heartbreaking. I can see how many in that part of the world just stay in the closet and force themselves to play along as straight. Safety and surviving comes first.

My hat’s off to the entire team. Indian Cinema is taking a big step in a very needed direction by sharing stories like this about a community that has been sorely lacking in representation and love.
As an American who happens to be gay, I sometimes forget how lucky I am to live in a country that allows me to live openly as my true self — even despite how aggressively some are trying these days to turn back the clock on our hard won rights.

If you don’t mind reading subtitles or sitting through a long 2-hour-and-27-minutes film, then give this one a chance.

Excellent performance by Rajkummar Rao, Bhumi Pednekar, and Chum Darang.

Available to stream: Netflix.

Marcelino Rosas

Marcelino “Marc” Rosas is a novelist, essayist and film reviewer whose writing centers on the intersection of Queer and Latinx identity. Raised in Los Angeles as the eldest son in a Mexican-American family with traditional views of masculinity, his debut novel Afuera (Out) and its follow-up Fuerte (Strong) are celebrated for their passionate and candid portrayal of the challenges confronting a young man coming of age in a machismo-dominated culture as he explores and finally fully embraces his identity as a gay Latino man. A one-time fashion and figure model himself, Marc has always had a strong appreciation for the arts, in particular film. Thus his passion for sharing hidden gems of queer cinema via his film reviews with his ever-growing audience. When not at his writing desk working on his next book, Marc spends his time in the gym or traveling with the love of his life Pieter, his husband of many years.

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