Did Dostana Actually Help Queer Representation? | Cine5

Dostana has rightly faced criticism for turning homosexuality into a source of comedy — but does its place in mainstream Bollywood make its legacy more complicated? The Cine5 gang debates whether seeing stars like Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham play along with the idea of being a gay couple offered some incremental visibility to mass audiences, even while the film relied heavily on stereotypes and jokes. The conversation then moves to later mainstream films such as Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan and Badhaai Do, and how Bollywood’s portrayal of same-sex relationships evolved. Watch the full episode on IVM Pop YouTube and stream it on all audio streaming platforms. Follow: Shreemi Verma → @‌shreemiverma   / shreemiverma   Karan Mirchandani → @‌karan_mir   / karan_mir   IVM Pop → @‌ivmpop   / ivmpop   IVM Podcasts → @‌ivmpodcasts   / ivmpodcasts