Lesbian and gay kissing scenes in Bollywood

Kissing scenes have become the norm rather than an exception in Bollywood films today. While actual kissing between co-stars has replaced flowers in the kissing scenes, there are others who have pushed the envelope even further and projected homosexuality on the silver screen. Here are some of the girl-on-girl and man-on-man kissing scenes shown on celluloid in Bollywood.

Sunny Leone and Sandhya Mridul - Adult film star turned Bollywood actress Sunny Leone has locked lips with actress Sandhya Mridul for their film Ragini MMS 2. Sunny, who made her Bollywood debut with Jism 2, set the screen on fire with her kissing and lovemaking sequences with actor Randeep Hooda in the film. 'Baby doll' Sunny however, did not shy away from sharing a steamy kiss with Sandhya in the film. This comes as no surprise as the makers of Ragini MMS 2 have been seen cashing in on Sunny's popularity and promoting their film by sharing various videos of Sunny in hot poses under the shower, in the bedroom etc. Even though this one kissing scene has got a lot of publicity, this isn't the first time, two actresses have kissed each other in Bollywood.

Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das - Both Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das are actresses par excellence. The two actresses were extremely professional and did not shy away while portraying lesbian love in Deepa Mehta's Fire. An unusual love story between two sister-in-laws, Shabana and Nandita have a lovemaking scene together. While any other actor might have refused to go so bold on camera, Deepa Mehta's aesthetically shot kissing and lovemaking scene adds to the story's depth. This scene was debated and the portrayal of homosexuality on cinema saw Deepa Mehta's Fire being stalled because of several protests.

Saqib Saleem and Randeep Hooda -
A film that celebrated 100 years of Indian cinema, Bombay Talkies, also did not hesitate to show a kissing scene between two male actors. Actor Saqib Saleem of Mere Dad Ki Maruti fame and actor Randeep Hooda share a passionate kiss on screen. Directed by Karan Johar, the film was a rather bold attempt by the filmmaker who usually makes candy-floss cinema. Their kiss however, got a lot of media attention and Saqib, in an interview with The Times Of India said, "In my first film, I kissed a girl and nobody said anything on that. Now in my third film, I kissed a guy and the media has made a hue and cry about it."

Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth - Actress Lisa Ray can be added to the list of actors who have portrayed homosexuality on cinema. Lisa Ray and Sheetal Sheth share a love making and kissing scene in the film I Can't Think Straight. Directed by Shamim Sarif and produced by Hanan Kattan, the film was rumoured to be on their real life relationship. The film is about Lisa Ray, whose parents are planning an elaborate wedding for her, while as luck would have it, she has an affair and falls in love with a woman (Sheetal Sheth). Incidentally, Lisa and Sheetal worked together again in the film The World Unseen also directed by Shamim Sarif once again on lesbian love.

Kapil Sharma and Yuvraaj Parasher - Directed by Sanjay Sharma and written by his brother Kapil Sharma who also plays the main lead in the film Dunno Y...Na Jaane Kyun is a film that talks about gay romance. Premiered at India's first mainstream gay film festival, the Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, the film has a very controversial gay kissing scene. The film's kissing scene between Kapil Sharma and Yuvraaj Parasher faced a lot of disapproval especially from Yuvraaj's family. According to news reports, Yuvraaj's family initiated legal action to disown him because he apparently brought shame to the family. They claimed to "not want to see his face even in death" while on the other hand, Yuvraaj got acclaim by Chhagan Bhujpal for his sensitive portrayal of the gay community.

Rahul Bose and Arjun Mathur - I Am is an anthology film by Onir, one of the four films is on gay rights that stars actors Rahul Bose and Arjun Mathur. The film titled Omar has a lovemaking scene between Rahul Bose and Arjun Mathur. Omar is apparently inspired by stories and research material provided by an online portal Gay Bombay. While showcasing homosexuality on screen does raise eyebrows, actor Rahul Bose in an interview with The Times Of India had said, "There shouldn't be any hype about a man kissing another man. I did kiss a man in I Am, but how is it any different from kissing a woman that I don't know in my films. The pressure is always there and so are the nerves, but not because it is a man or a woman, but because you have to do it to a complete stranger in front of so many other people, in front of the cameras and the film crew."