Bollywood didn’t always know how to tell LGBTQ stories. For years, queer characters either didn’t show up at all or, if they did, they were just there for a joke. That’s been changing, though. Lately, even the big, crowd-pleasing Hindi movies have started telling honest LGBTQ love stories — real ones, not just another stereotype. Take these five films: ‘Margarita with a Straw’, ‘Aligarh’, ‘Kapoor & Sons’, ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga’, and ‘Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan’. Each one brought something fresh. They showed everyone that love doesn’t have to look a certain way. Honestly, it’s about time.

These films are more than just two hours on a screen — they cracked open conversations India needed. They dug into acceptance, visibility, and what it means to belong somewhere. Some go deep into identity and desire. Others drop queer love right into the middle of messy family sagas. By putting real feelings and honest stories up there, Bollywood’s finally starting to change how India sees LGBTQ lives, and love itself.

Bollywood’s still evolving, but these movies are markers on the road. They remind us that every kind of love deserves its moment in the spotlight, and in our own lives, too.