Divya Dutta and Swara Bhasker to Play Homosexual Partners in New Queer Film Sheer Khurma

After Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga was made on a homosexual relationship between two women, another film on same sex love is in the making. Titled Sheer Khurma, the film will star Swara Bhasker and Divya Dutta as a couple. It will be directed by Faraz Arif Ansari and features veteran actress Surekha Sikri in a pivotal role.

Sheer Khurma will trace the journey of a queer woman searching for a sense of belonging, identity and acceptance from her family. Faraz has previously directed Sisak, India's First Silent LGBTQ love story, and has also written Sheer Khurma, reported indianexpress.com.

Talking about the cast, Faraz said, "Divya and Swara are two celebrated names in the industry and strong allies of the LGBTQIA+ community. It was an easy decision to approach them. In fact, when I started writing the film, I had Divya in my mind, and already saw her playing this role."

He added, "Sheer Khurma is a labour of love. After Sisak's success, it took me a lot of time to find the soul for my next film... Making a queer film in India continues to be a challenge. Especially when the film doesn't have any male protagonists."

Swara, last seen in last year's Veere Di Wedding, shared the news about the film on Twitter.

Divya, on her part, revealed that she had no reservations about taking up the role. "I have worked with him (Faraz) previously and I know what he has to offer. For me, this is not just a film. It's a story about relationships including this woman's with her family and her partner, which is something that needs to be talked about amid all the taboo that exists in our society."

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga starred Sonam Kapoor and is one of the few mainstream films made on homosexual relationships. Though the film wasn't a big success, it managed to get a conversation going about queer love in Hindi cinema. We hope that Sheer Khurma helps in taking that forward.

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