Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020) was a genuine revolution, weaponizing the tropes of the 90s romantic comedy—the disapproving father, the running-through-the-airport scene—to legitimize a gay romance. By placing a queer story squarely in the aesthetics of Karan Johar's candy-floss universe, the film normalized the narrative without preaching. Despite these strides, the representation of interfaith love often remains a cinematic bargaining chip used to postpone a bigger reveal, though films like 2 States continue to break the mold by celebrating the clash rather than erasing it.
For the last decade, a revolution has been brewing. With the advent of streaming (Netflix, Amazon Prime) and a new wave of independent filmmakers (like Zoya Akhtar, Imtiaz Ali, and Shakun Batra), the definition of has fractured into something messier, more realistic, and infinitely more interesting.