Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui

Looking beyond the rose-tinted glasses: Has all the romance in Hindi cinema gone or evolved?

Cinema for change is significant, and love stories that explore the real side of it are gladly welcomed, but is it greedy to want the best of both worlds? Is it asking too much, if I desire over-the-top romances, and rooted love stories as well?

The curious contradiction of male muscularity in queer movies, from Dostana to Badhaai Do

Shardul's obsession with his muscularity in Badhaai Do makes him possess the markers of heterosexuality and strength, but also contradicts that by giving him a sensitive personality, one without agency, one whose muscle is mere armoury.

If Priyanka Chopra feels a northeastern actor should've played Mary Kom, then Ben Kingsley shouldn't have been Gandhi

Where was this gyan when Priyanka Chopra Jonas not only played Mary Kom but also declared herself the perfect fit for the role (which she was, and Mary Kom agrees.)?

Holding out for a hero: Why do actresses still need to depend on who the male lead is? Why can't they be the heroes?

Taapsee Pannu's recent revelation that other actresses rejected Haseen Dillruba because they were not sure of 'the hero' only exposes the gross dependence of leading ladies on how 'saleable' their male counterparts are.

2021 Queer Roundup: Unassuming gayness of ACP Khan in Aarya over laboured representation in Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui

My hope for queer storytelling as we step into a new year is to be more irreverent, to see more easy queerness, more desire, and more queer authorship as opposed to only queer characters.

2021 is the year when women on screen came into their own, from Rashmi Rocket, Mimi to Pagglait

It is not every year that you get to watch a young window unable to grieve her husband’s death, a female athlete banned for failing the gender test, a trans-girl making people question what is normal, an abandoned surrogate mother, and a woman faking her husband’s death to prevent him getting convicted for murder.

Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui isn't limited to trans representation, but also says a lot about the support their partners need

As a queer person living in India, I was surprised, and even proud, to see Bollywood doing much better than it has before in terms of transgender representation.

Ayushmann Khurrana on Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui: 'Cinema for social change is here to stay'

"I love doing progressive stories and adding value to cinema and society," says Ayusmann Khurrana.

Abhishek Kapoor on Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui: 'I wanted to reach out to the masses so that people can appreciate and understand'

“People are never going to say…tell us… you have to go in there and wake them up. Society doesn’t like any change. They want things to continue in a certain way,” says Abhishek Kapoor.

Vaani Kapoor on her character in Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui: ‘My fear was what if trans community doesn’t accept her’

“I can’t even begin to compare what I have shown and what they (transgender) have gone through in real life. It is an earnest attempt to play the character with grace, dignity, and utmost honesty,” says Vaani Kapoor.