The actor Ayushmann Khurrana has made a name for himself with movies addressing social issues, and he comes back with another, this time co-starring the actress Vani Kapoor. Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui is essentially a movie about a man falling in love with a trans woman and overcoming his own biases. 

Throughout the history of Bollywood movies, there have been many caricatures of trans people, mostly men dressed up in feminine attire and making a mockery of trans individuals. Kapoor’s portrayal of the character Maanvi is sensitive and touching, despite the fact that her acting is emotionless at times. 

There is a scene in the beginning of the movie where Maanvi is creating a profile on an app, and she stops to stare at the screen that asks her as to whether she is a “man” or a “woman.” Maanvi hesitates, her eyes swelling up with tears, and then clicks on “woman” as a sigh of relief escapes from her lips and a small smile adorns her face. 

Khurrana’s portrayal of the character Manu is profound. He goes from being an ignorant, narrow-minded person to someone who realizes that his mentality was wrong, and he accepts Maanvi for who she is. The best line from him is, “The person you are today is the one I truly like.” 

Transphobia is shown through various characters, particularly Manu’s family. When they first meet Maanvi, not knowing she is trans, they act sweetly and shower her with praise and compliments. But that praise turns to hatred when they discover the truth. His sisters even go to the gym Maanvi works at to berate her in front of everyone. 

The message of this movie is clear and incredibly well done. There aren’t any caricatures, and it addresses many transphobic elements in society.