Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (2019)

"Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga" deserves credit for bringing LGBTQ+ representation to mainstream Bollywood at a pivotal cultural moment (2019 is when homosexuality was technically decriminalized). The film works well on a technical level—solid acting from the entire cast, good pacing that keeps the narrative moving, and confident use of Bollywood's storytelling conventions. At 6/10, it's a competent film that tackles important ground. The meta-theatrical structure is effective, employing Shakespeare's play-within-a-play technique to explore both the power of storytelling and the importance of writing from a place of truth. The playwright character's journey toward authentic expression mirrors Sweety's own struggle for self-acceptance, creating a thoughtful parallel. However, the film's most glaring failure is one of courage. The lesbian protagonists never kiss—not once. Compare this to "Late Marriage," which featured an explicit 10-minute heterosexual sex scene without hesitation. Both films explore the identical social construct: who controls the protagonist's life, tradition or the individual? Yet the films approach intimacy with vastly different levels of integrity. It's unfortunate that director Shelly Chopra Dhar, working with such groundbreaking subject matter, didn't have the courage to make a stronger, more honest statement. The result is progress, yes, but progress that stops short of true authenticity.