Chitrangada: The Crowning Wish (Bengali) Written and directed by Rituparno Ghosh, the film premiered on 25 May 2012 at the New York Indian Film Festival. The film is based on the story of Chitrangada from the Mahabharata. It tells the story of a choreographer who is struggling with his gender identity.
Available on Zee5 and Hoichoi
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (Hindi) As her family seeks to marry her off and a hopeful writer pursues her, a small-town woman struggles to reveal the long-hidden truth about who she loves. Available on Netflix
I Am (Multilingual) I Am is a 2010 Indian anthology film by Onir. It consists of four short films: ‘Omar’, ‘Afia’, ‘Abhimanyu’, and ‘Megha’. Each film shares the common theme of fear, and each film is based on real-life stories. There are four stories but the characters are interwoven with each story. ‘Abhimanyu’ is based on child abuse, ‘Omar’ on gay rights, ‘Megha’ is about Kashmiri Pandits and ‘Afia’ deals with sperm donation. I Am was released with subtitles in all regions as six different languages are spoken in the film: Hindi, English, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali and Kashmiri. Available on Hotstar and Netflix
Loev (Hindi) Lives are upended when a hiking trip leads a Wall Street hotshot to explore his true feelings for an old pal who’s disenchanted with his boyfriend.
Available on Netflix
Margarita with a Straw (Hindi) Margarita with a Straw is a 2014 Indian drama film directed by Shonali Bose. It stars Kalki Koechlin as an Indian teenager with cerebral palsy who relocates to America for her undergraduate education and comes of age following her complex relationship with a blind girl, played by Sayani Gupta. Revathy, Kuljeet Singh, and William Moseley play supporting roles. The film deals with themes of inclusion, self-acceptance, and human sexuality.
Available for rent on Google and YouTube
Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (Hindi) The film tells the story of a gay man and his partner, who have trouble convincing the former’s parents of their relation. Available on Amazon Prime
Super Deluxe (Tamil) Sex, stigma and spirituality merge in these eccentric stories of an angsty teenager, an unfaithful wife and a transgender woman returning to her past. Available on Netflix