




Was Razia Sultan (1983) home to India’s first on-screen lesbian moment?
Long before Fire (1996), Kamal Amrohi’s Razia Sultan featured a scene between Razia (Hema Malini) and Khakun (Parveen Babi) that many viewers have read as one of Indian cinema’s earliest depictions of desire between two women. The moment was never confirmed by the filmmakers, but it was later removed when the film aired on Doordarshan, making this scene as fascinating for what it suggests as for what it leaves unsaid. Whether you see it as romance, longing, or subtext, it remains one of the most intriguing queer moments in Bollywood history. Have you watched Razia Sultan? Do you think this counts as India’s first on-screen lesbian moment?