Amidst lockdown, June kicks off the ‘Pride Month’. Unlike the past years, all of us won’t be able to celebrate all forms of love by hugging our friends or attending Pride parades, parties, and events. So, does that mean that Pride month is cancelled for this year? Hell, no!

This year, as you tune into group video chats, and make perfect pride playlists, here are 5 shows/movies that feature LGBTQIA+ people or stories that must be on your June weekend binge-watching lists.

Advertisement

Made In Heaven

Ever since its release, Amazon Prime Video’s Made In Heaven struck a chord with the audience for its multi-layered storyline and the incredible performances. Set in the backdrop of big-fat Indian weddings, the show presented various narratives of the Indian society and its obsession with marriages. Starring Sobhita Dhulipala, Arjun Mathur, Jim Sarabh, and Kalki Koechlin in the leading roles, Made In Heaven touches on the topic of gender fluidity and individual sexuality in a subtle way. Through beautiful nuances, the show highlighted the struggles and prejudices that the LGBTQ community faces on a regular basis.

Four More Shots Please!

Four More Shots Please! on Amazon Prime Video explores the friendship of four independent women – Kirti Kulhari, Sayani Gupta, Maanvi Gagroo, and Bani J. The show deals with various topics including being a single mother, bisexuality and accepting your own body, among others. While Umang (Banji J) accepts her sexuality and receives support from her friends, her partner Samara (Lisa Ray) is deeply closeted. The show brings out how her character rises above the societal norms and embraces her sexual orientation unabashedly.

Romil and Jugal

Romil and Jugal is ALTBalaji’s take of Romeo and Juliet but with a gay couple. The story revolves around a shy young Tamil boy Romil (Rajeev Siddhartha) and a loud Punjabi guy Jugal (Manraj Singh), who fall deeply in love with each other. The narrative follows the life of two young boys who try to navigate their lives together as they struggle to win acceptance of their orthodox family and the narrow-minded society overall. Despite the societal pressure, the duo doesn’t crumble and emerges as a strong couple.

Never Have I Ever

Netflix’s latest series, Never Have I Ever by Mindy Kaling follows the story of a Tamil-American teenager Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) who wishes to be popular in her high school along with her two friends Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez) and Eleanor (Ramona Young). One of the subplots of the show is Fabiola’s sexuality. The teenagers realize that she is gay and comes out to her friends and her mother after struggling to open up about it.

The Half of It

A coming-of-age film, The Half of It deals with sexuality and racism without enforcing stereotypes. A senior in high school, Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) has a crush on her fellow classmate Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire). Despite her feelings, she helps Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) to write a letter to Aster on his behalf. Ellie’s feelings for Aster appear to be genuine as she rambles on about her and awkwardly freezes when they’re together. Ellie transforms from being a confused teenager to finally accepting her sexuality and even coming out to her friend, Paul.

So, get your rainbow on and celebrate Pride month with this incredible line-up of shows.