As India celebrates the decriminalisation of homosexuality, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga is a much-awaited romcom to keep the celebrations growing bigger and louder.
Debutant Writer and director Shelly Chopra has deftly created this simple heart-warming film about 2 girls in love, the struggles of the family acceptance and what/who eventually wins.
It is definitely all melodramatic and filmy. But at this point, such films are important no matter how these are being narrated. As much as actors are required to perform any roles and one shouldn’t be praised for doing their job, Anil Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor really deserve an applause for not only celebrating a film about lesbian love but for endorsing a simple fact that love can naturally happen between people and nothing should be a barrier. For a real father-Daughter pair to act together in a film, they could have chosen any other film but they making this as their debut also shows their support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Regina Cassandra, as Sonam’s love interest has done a neat and fantastic role. Her effortless performance is a delight to watch. I really really wished she had more scenes. It was so refreshing to see her perform and at the same I also wished Regina and Sonam had more scenes together.
The scene where Sonam, still holding on to some insecurities, voices “I wish we both were normal.”
For which, Regina, looks at her and asks “what do you mean you are abnormal? If you aren’t accepting who you are, why would you expect others to accept you?” This is one really well-written scene, highlighting that they are not only fighting against all odds in the society but they do have their individual inner struggles at times.
I also hope the director, Shelly, have let these two characters to fight for their love rather than having a male protagonist doing the job of getting Anil kapoor, the town, the family members to accept them- A Bollywood cliche the team could have avoided.
However, the writer breaks one of the biggest cliches of painting a lesbian love story
- the girls aren’t shown as “tomboys”. They wore what they liked. They behaved in a way that any young girl would be, again proving that love is as natural as it can be.
The branch-out side stories of Rajkumar’s stage play writer struggles, Anil kapoor’s love towards Juhi Jawla, Sonam’s brother’s homophobia- all mixed in appropriate portions, make this love platter, a feast to be truly enjoyed!
I view this film as an apology to the mess Bollywood did in Dostana. I still remember what one of my friends told me a few years ago- “Gaya, when Dostana was released, I felt so embarrassed and uneasy to watch it with my family.”
Does Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga questions the societal values and breaks every stigma against homosexuals?
Maybe not.
But it definitely makes you grin widely, shed a tear or two and give a huge warm hug to the person seated next to you.
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