A specialist says that a lavender marriage allows a person to be themselves while shielding their private lives from public scrutiny.
Since the trailer for Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar’s upcoming film ‘Badhaai Do’ was released, it has created quite a buzz online. People are enjoying the progressive aspect of the film, which is ostensibly about same-sex relationships.
Despite the long history of excluding LGBTQ+ stories from Bollywood, many interesting scripts are now appearing there, and Badhaai Do seems to be one of them.
Before World War II, public figures and celebrities would hide their sexual preferences – because it was considered taboo – and marry, in order to have a stable career in the film industry.
The term “lavender marriage” has been around for over 100 years, according to mental health counselors and wellness coaches. It is understood that this form of marriage is an ‘act of convenience’ used to perpetrate a deception when two individuals – usually males and females – come together secretly harbouring mixed orientations,”
“An individual who chooses to marry a member of the LGBTQ community is able to remain true to themselves while shielding their personal lives from prying eyes. It is important to bring such concepts to light in order to build a progressive community. Raising awareness about lavender marriages would be extremely beneficial. People often hide their sexual preferences due to societal pressures or family pressures, and after being forced into heterosexual marriages – they remain unfulfilling and burdensome.
Two of our main characters are introduced in the trailer – Rao, who plays a cop, and Pednekar, a physical education teacher. It is interesting to note that even though they are paired opposite one another, there is no romantic element between the two, as Pednekar’s character appears uninterested in men or marriage; rather, she seems to have a romantic tendency for women.
In order to get their parents off their backs and get married, the two decide to get married and live together as roommates instead of getting married and settling down. Rao’s character also appears to be interested in a same-sex relationship in the trailer, which is filled with wit and hilarity.
Social media users started using the term ‘lavender marriage’ after the trailer was released, which is a concept the film is believed to deal with. This is a mixed-orientation marriage between a male and a female, also known as a ‘marriage of convenience’, where one or both partners conceal their sexual orientation from their families or the society as a result of the stigma attached to it. The 2008 film Fashion, was also explored.
