Pride Month specials: Movies that teach us the sensitivity of LGBTQ+ issues and how to be empathetic

This Pride Month (June), delve into the narratives of queer experiences with a collection of movies available on OTTplay Premium, offering a vital reality check on the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community. From the tender awakening of first love in Timothée Chalamet's Call Me By Your Name, which beautifully explores youthful desire and self-discovery, to the deeply impactful true story of academic struggle and societal prejudice in Manoj Bajpayee's Aligarh, chronicling a professor's fight for dignity after being targeted for his sexuality, and more, these movies offer the complex journey through the queer life.

Pride Month special movies on OTTplay Premium:

Call Me By Your Name

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Esther Garrel, Victorie du Bois

This Oscar-winning movie follows the life of young Elio, a curious teenager, who finds himself drawn to Oliver, his father's short-term assistant. As they spend more time together, Elio's admiration blossoms into something deeper, forcing him to confront his own sexuality. This experience leaves Elio to navigate the complexities of the bittersweet memories of their summer together.

Aligarh

Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkummar Rao, Ashish Vidyarthi, Balaji Gauri, Suman Vaidya, Sukhesh Arora

After his private life and sexual orientation get exposed, Dr. Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, a dignified professor, unexpectedly finds a deep connection with a journalist, who reported on his story. As their paths continue to cross, they develop a unique bond that transcends the intentions of the journalist's assignment and allows for more understanding and empathy to emerge between them.

Carol

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Kyle Chandler, Jake Lacy, Ann Roskin

In the heavily busy departmental store of 1950s Manhattan, Therese Belivet's life takes an unexpected turn when she meets Carol Aird. As they cross paths, Therese finds herself drawn to Carol's elegance, and soon develops strong feelings for the older woman, leading to a romantic start, forcing Therese to confront her desires and the societal constraints that threaten to tear them apart.

Philadelphia

Cast: Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Antonio Banderas, Buzz Kilman, Jason Robards, Gary Goetzman

Another Oscar-winning movie that follows the life of a brilliant young lawyer from Philadelphia, who struggles with the dual burdens of being a gay, and living with AIDS disease, all while keeping his true identity hidden from his employers. But when he's abruptly fired, he takes a surprising step of hiring Andrew Beckett, a lawyer with a reputation for being insensitive to LGBTQ+ issues, to represent him in a wrongful termination lawsuit.

377 AbNormal

Cast: Maanvi Gagroo, Subha Rajput, Mohan Kapur, Preetika Rao, Shashank Arora, Kumud Mishra

This Hindi drama delves into the historic legal battle, where five courageous petitioners dared to challenge the Section 377, a colonial-era law that criminalises same-sex relationships. Their bravery and determination ultimately led to a groundbreaking judgment that decriminalized homosexuality, paving the way for a new era of equality, freedom, and human rights for the LGBTQ+ community in India.