Unlike films that use commercial tropes to sell same-sex love stories, Swara Bhasker says Sheer Qorma tackles subject for what it is
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; March 13, 2020)

Be it by employing comedy (Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan) or by minimising the depiction of intimate scenes (Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga), Bollywood is taking baby steps towards making the depiction of gay love stories in cinema, commonplace. In the same vein comes Swara Bhasker-starrer Sheer Qorma, that depicts the longing for acceptance felt by queer children living with parents.

Bhasker counts this film among the firsts to "normalise" discussion around the subject. "That is what cinema [should do], given that it's such a powerful medium. The visual medium reaches the heart directly. So, the soft-power that cinema enjoys is immense. It will be among the films that transform a dominant mindset. Our story gets to the core of the issue without making any bones about it. It tackles the discomfort felt by a generation [with traditional mindsets]." Bhasker counts India among the countries that are opening their arms to people of different sexual preferences. "Rights have to be fought for, and won, and that's happening now in India. Two of my friends are gay; I've watched them struggle. From the day they confided in me, it was a given that I was okay with it."

Sharing screen space with Shabana Azmi was another bonus for Bhasker. "Watching her made me realise how many miles I have to go before I sleep. I've never seen an actor own lines like she does."