Volume VI Special Issue I January 2026

Name of Author : Shaina P. Dhulapkar

Title of the paper : Queering the Screen: A Critical Analysis of LGBTQ Representation in Indian Cinema through Butler and Sedgwicks Theoretical Lens

Abstract: As Satyajit Ray said, Cinema has its own way of telling the truth and it must be left free to function in its own right… films have their own way of expressing the stories. The representation of LGBTQ identities in Indian cinema has evolved drastically in the 21st Century. It has peripheral stereotypes to more nuanced portrayals that challenge heteronormative archetypes. This paper critically examines two films Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan 2020 and Super Deluxe 2019 through the lens of Judith Butlers gender performativity and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwicks notion of queer epistemology. Using gender and queer theory to analyse the texts, the paper explores how these films subvert the binary construction of gender and sexuality, bringing the complexities of queer existence to the forefront in the socio-cultural context of India. It argues that Indian cinema, despite being structured within a heteronormative notion, has begun to provide an alternate discourse to identity and desire. Through a contextual analysis of these two films, this study reveals how cinema narrates the queer subjectivities that negotiate visibility, shame, and acceptance. In the final analysis, the paper situates these films within broader cultural and theoretical contexts, emphasizing their contribution to the ongoing discourse on LGBTQ rights and gender diversification in contemporary India.

Keywords : Gender Performativity, Heteronormativity, Indian Cinema, LGBTQ Representation, Queer Epistemology

DOI :

Page Number : 290-294