Konkona Sen Sharma has spoken strongly about how Bollywood has portrayed queer characters over the years. During the promotions of her upcoming Netflix thriller “Accused,” the actress shared her thoughts on the industry’s long history of using “derogatory humour” while depicting LGBTQIA+ identities.
Konkona said that for decades, Hindi cinema has rarely shown queer characters as normal individuals living regular lives. Instead, they were either treated as a joke or shown only when the story was about a social issue. She feels this approach has limited authentic representation on screen.
“The Default Is Often Straight, Male, Hindi-Speaking”
Explaining her point, Konkona said that most mainstream films still revolve around what she called the “default” character — someone who is straight, male and Hindi-speaking. She added that unless a film is specifically about homosexuality or another issue, queer characters are usually missing from the narrative.
She also compared this with the portrayal of differently-abled people in films. According to her, such characters are often included only when the script focuses entirely on that issue. She believes cinema should reflect the real world, where people from different identities exist naturally without being reduced to a lesson or stereotype.
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How ‘Accused’ Is Different
Konkona Sen Sharma shared that the accused tries to break this pattern. In the film, she plays Geetika, a talented surgeon living in London with her partner Meera, played by Pratibha Ranta. Their relationship is not shown as a social statement. It is simply a part of their everyday life.
The story takes a dramatic turn when Geetika is accused of sexual harassment at her workplace. As the case unfolds, the film explores professional challenges, personal doubts, and emotional strain within their relationship. The focus remains on trust and partnership rather than turning their sexuality into the central conflict.
Pratibha Ranta On Normalising Queer Relationships
Pratibha Ranta, who received praise for Laapataa Ladies, also spoke about the film’s realistic tone. She said Accused presents a queer couple in a natural and grounded way. The situations they face are intense, but their bond is shown with honesty rather than melodrama.
She explained that the film is not preachy. Instead, it highlights how any couple would deal with accusations, public scrutiny and emotional pressure. The intention is to normalise queer relationships rather than treat them as something unusual.
About The Netflix Film ‘Accused’
Directed by Anubhuti Kashyap and produced by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment, Accused is written by Sima Agarwal and Yash Keswani. The thriller is set to release on Netflix on February 27, 2026.
With this project, Konkona Sen Sharma hopes to push conversations around better and more sensitive representation in Bollywood. Her comments have once again brought attention to how Hindi cinema can evolve to reflect a more diverse and inclusive society.
Author: Purnima s
Purnima | Entertainment Blogger 4+ yrs writing fun blogs on movies, celebs & trends. Pop culture addict serving fresh, binge-worthy content!
