Gaze and Queer Autonomy? Representations and Possibilities on New Visual Media Landscapes in the Indian Context

Representations of sexuality in Indian mainstream cinema tend to reinforce sexual differences, imbalances, and certain stereotypes that put queer identities in a disadvantageous position. The shift and transition from the monopoly of the state to an era of popular forms of entertainment enabled the centrality of debates on representations and sexuality. The study examines the representations of queerness that flourished on new visual media landscapes such as the OTT platforms Netflix and Amazon Prime Video that engaged in a new dialogue on queer representations and possibilities. The study attempts to analyze Super Deluxe (2019), Made in Heaven (2019) and Ajeeb Daastans (2021), as they become the representative form of cinema that marked the shift and engaged in a new dialogue on queer representations and possibilities. The study reads queer representation in light of the frameworks of ‘gaze’ and ‘homophyly’ to understand why they might offer different opportunities for representation and gaze.