“Badhaai Do” A Film Reimagining What It Means To Be An Accepting Family In India
If you have not seen it, its on Netflix go ahead and watch it. It's amazing how it reimagines the life of gays in an extended family. Something that seems so dear to me. I have been working for the rights of people to love whomever they want to.
My NGO called 12 Vaja works with non-binary individuals and their rights to exist in a society that is filled with prejudice and religious extremism. I have seen so many people suffer because they feel that they are nonbinary.
What this amazing film does it hit the problem in its nails. Its not just about the society it's the family that has been unbending towards change for so long.
A family that requires you to marry if you are reaching thirty, a family that tries to decide who you marry and how you discover love.
I am sure that there are exceptions but we need to actually talk about creating open-minded families in the subcontinent. People need to be more accepting. It's always easy to say oh that child is gay, his parents are this and that, but its always important to start at your own home.
Because charity begins at home. And so does our battle in this society.
If you are an Indian-Bangali-Pakistani family please watch this movie. I think it's lovely to watch something refreshing after so long and that with a happy ending too. Hoping to watch more movies by the director and the actors exploring pluralism and non-binary existence in a hopeful manner.
I understand the types of challenges people go through growing up inthese societies are not so easily solvable but we must make it more accessible for everyone. Because I believe the responsibility of art is to give us hope in this world which can often seem so hopeless.
Kudos.
