Streaming Freedom: Lesbian Visibility and Narrative Liberation in OTTbased Hindi Content

Abstract

Abstract

The decriminalization of homosexuality in India in 2018 marked a pivotal moment for queer representation across media. Digital streaming platforms, relatively unrestrained by state censorship, have since emerged as transformative spaces for the depiction of marginalized identities. This study explores the visibility and narrative construction of lesbian identity in Hindi-language OTT content between 2018 and 2025. Employing a qualitative research design grounded in queer theory and feminist film criticism, the research analyses the selected web series and films such as Made in Heaven, Four More Shots Please!, Bombay Begums, and The Married Woman to examine how lesbian desire, intimacy, and agency are articulated on screen.

Through textual analysis, supported by audience focus group discussions and interviews with media practitioners, the paper investigates whether OTT narratives signify genuine liberation from heteronormative cinematic tropes or merely reframe them within commercial aesthetics of inclusion. Findings indicate that while OTT spaces have expanded the representational vocabulary of lesbian experience, they continue to negotiate visibility within socio-cultural and market constraints. The study contributes to the growing discourse on digital media’s role in shaping queer subjectivities and reimagining the politics of representation in post-Section 377 India.

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