‘Badhaai Do’ trailer: All you need to know about ‘lavender marriage’

In the trailer, we are introduced to our two main characters — Rao, who plays a cop, and Pednekar, a PT teacher. Interestingly, while they are paired opposite each other, there is no romantic angle between the two, for Pednekar’s character appears to show no interest in men or marriage; instead, she seems have a romantic proclivity for women.

With their families insisting they get married and ‘settle down’, the two decide to tie the knot and live as roommates instead, just to get their parents off their backs. The trailer, peppered with witticism and hilarity, also seemingly alludes to the fact that Rao’s character is, in fact, also interested in a same-sex relationship.

After the trailer released, people started to float the term ‘lavender marriage’ on social media, a concept the film is believed to deal with. For the uninitiated, it is a male-female mixed-orientation marriage, which is also called a ‘marriage of convenience’, because one or both parties conceal their sexual orientation from their families or the society, owing to the stigma attached. It was previously explored in the film Fashion (2008).

The term essentially dates back to 20th-century Hollywood, especially before World War II, when public figures and celebrities would hide their sexual preferences — because it was such a taboo — and get married, so as to have a stable career in the film industry.

According to Arouba Kabir, a mental health counselor and a wellness coach, the term ‘lavender marriage’ is over a 100 years old. “This form of marriage can be understood as an ‘act of convenience’ for creating a public deception when two individuals — usually a male and a female — come together secretly harbouring their mixed orientation,” she told indianexpress.com.

She continued by saying that with changing times, while homosexuality has been “increasingly accepted”, it is “still a word that raises the society’s eyebrows”.

“Lavender marriage, thus, is a choice that allows an individual to be themselves yet protect their personal lives from public speculation. The move to bring such concepts to light is a step towards a progressive community. Spreading awareness about lavender marriages would definitely help. Many individuals have to hide their sexual preferences due to societal pressure or pressure within their own families, and after being sadly forced into a heterosexual marriage — it remains unfruitful and burdensome,” she said.

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