Bollywood has gradually become more open in portraying bold themes, LGBTQ+ relationships, and same-sex romances. Films like Deepa Mehta’s Fire (1996), featuring Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das, and Sonam Kapoor’s Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (2019) brought LGBTQ+ stories to mainstream audiences. However, the very first depiction of a same-sex relationship in Indian cinema dates back to 1983, in the epic period drama Razia Sultan, starring Hema Malini.

A historical film with big controversy

Razia Sultan, directed by Kamal Amrohi, was based on the life of the 13th-century Delhi Sultanate ruler, Razia Sultan. The film took three years to make and had a massive budget of Rs 10 crore, a huge amount for that time. Unfortunately, despite the grandeur, the film flopped at the box office, earning

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