There is plenty of warmth alongside coruscating observations in Rainbow Rishta, which revolves around members of the Indian LGBTQIA+ community. There is topicality too – the Prime Video docuseries firmly repudiates the recent Supreme Court ruling against same-sex marriage.
Creator Jaydeep Sarkar explores the meaning of love, individual freedom and social validation in six stories that play out over six episodes. Each of the subjects is in search of companionship or a legal stamp to long-term commitments. The episodes have been directed by Sarkar, Hridaye A Nagpal and Shubhra Chatterji.
The most-well known character is Trinetra Haldar, the trans woman actor-influencer who played a pivotal role in the series Made in Heaven. Despite her attractiveness and fame, Haldar finds that “men see trans woman as something to tick off a sexual bucket list”. Over a series of dates, Haldar looks for a partner who will accept her for who she is, rather than what she represents.
In Guwahati, the achingly young lesbian couple Aneez and Sanam hunt high and low for a progressive landlord who will rent them an apartment. Their search ends the minute they decide to be honest about themselves, rather than lying about their sexuality.
In Delhi, the human rights lawyer Ayushmaan, who performs as the drag artist Lush Monsoon, is also looking for a match. The equation between Soham and Suresh, who have been together for years, reveals the yearning for legitimacy that has been denied to queer couples.
Imphal resident Sadam, who has thrown himself into the dating game, is anxious about a prospective boyfriend who arrives from Mumbai. Finally, Daniella and Joel have decided to get married. The show follows them during their preparations for a wedding as grand as their financial condition can afford.
Nearly all of the characters are out, even though some of them continue to face opposition from their families. The series emphasises their collective need to have somebody to talk to or have a shoulder to cry on. The loneliness of people who have chosen to live beyond the orthodoxies that govern social structures is pithily summed up: “I get tired of making tea for one person.”
The conversations have a free-wheeling, candid quality. The combination of observational camerawork and scripted scenes results in a series that will be eye-opening for some viewers and affirmative for others.
The most riveting track is the Daniella-Joel nuptials. A trans woman who was sold to hijras as a child, Daniella has overcome a horrific past to find a rare partner in the smitten Joel.
This middle-class couple is easily identifiable than some of the other, well-heeled participants. Joel’s family wants a traditional ceremony, leading to endearing discussions over the wedding dress, the arrangements, and the invites.
Rainbow Rishtaa has a mostly buoyant tone, with the seriousness of brutal rejection, mental health issues and violence acknowledged without being deeply explored. Most of the characters appear affluent enough to avoid the more serious depredations that await working-class sections of this community.
In the dynamic between Soham and Suresh, or Ayushmaan’s bold self-expression, we see the superhuman efforts taken to pursue an honest, transparent life. In the house-hunting efforts by Sanam and Aneez, where expectations have to be inevitably lowered, we see how little has changed. While acknowledging the efforts of LGBTQIA+ groups in providing counselling or support, the show emphasises the individual nature of the journeys that must be taken towards personal happiness.
Also read:
Indian Supreme Court’s hollow verdict on same-sex marriage reiterates inequality of queer people
Explainer: Why the Supreme Court refused to legalise same-sex marriages