Click it and Unblock the Notifications
EXCLUSIVE! Manish Poonam: It Shouldn't Be A Queer Love Story, It Should Just Be A Love Story
Pride Month 2026 special: We promised you that we would return with the second part of the meaningful interview with Manish Poonam. And here we are. The Campus Beats actor got all candid as he talked about queer representation in cinema.
In an exclusive conversation with Filmibeat Assistant Editor Abhishek Ranjit, Manish Poonam shared his two cents on why queer stories 'need more joy and less stereotyping'.
Here are excerpts from the interview-
You've built a strong connection with audiences online. How do you ensure social media becomes a space for meaningful storytelling and inspiration, rather than just visibility or performance?
I feel like everyone on the internet is trying to find themselves in someone else, in a part they've lost or a version they want to become. The internet has grown into a much bigger space than it once was. Earlier, we looked up to actors and celebrities. Today, we look at real people, people like us, who've started from scratch and built something meaningful. That creates hope. It makes things feel possible.
Because of that, connections now form more naturally, with honesty and authenticity. What you choose to share and why you share it really matters. At the core, everyone wants to be seen and heard, and the internet has become that space for many people.
Through personal storytelling and honest content, people don't just watch, they feel seen. If even one of my videos can do that for someone, it feels like a big achievement to me. I often receive messages from people saying they found courage, hope, or the strength to live more freely because of something I shared. Hearing that never feels small. It reminds me why I do what I do.
With time, I've understood that this work isn't just about me. It's for people. When you show up for yourself, you're also showing up for others who see themselves in you or aspire to become that version of themselves. That responsibility feels important to me. The connection that comes out of it is natural, beautiful, and something I deeply respect.
For young people discovering themselves through art, identity, or self-expression, what is that one thing your own journey has taught you about authenticity?
To all the young people discovering themselves through art and inner expression, I want to say this: it's deeply personal. It's yours. There is no formula for being yourself, no path to copy, no timeline to follow.
I receive many messages from people saying they want to come out or take big steps in their lives. And I always say the same thing. There is a time for everything, and everyone moves at their own pace. Just because someone else had the courage to do something early doesn't mean you have to do it now, or that you're behind if you don't.
Your journey is your own. I never knew where I would end up or how I would get here. I simply followed what my heart wanted. It was never about doing what was taught, shown, or expected of me. I made my choices based on what felt true to me, not on
labels or other people's expectations.
Many stories about queer identities centre on struggle. What are some everyday moments, relationships, or experiences that you feel deserve more space in mainstream storytelling?
I feel queer stories are often reduced to struggle, when in reality queer lives are as layered and colorful as the symbol we use for them. We celebrate the rainbow, but in storytelling we often show only one shade.
What deserves more space are everyday moments. Joy, intimacy, friendship, humor, love, boredom, ambition, small victories. Queer people, like anyone else, carry multiple emotions and live full lives beyond trauma. There is so much beauty in how queer people create joy for themselves, whether through performance, makeup, art, talent,
or simply building chosen families. These aren't escapes, they're forms of survival, protection, and self- expression.
Mainstream storytelling needs to move away from fixed imagery and assumptions. Instead of writing queer characters from the outside, we need to see them as humans first. When you look at them without labels, you discover depth, contradiction, softness, and freedom. Those layers alone can create countless intimate, relatable
stories.
If we allow queer characters to exist beyond struggle and be written with the same complexity as any other character, the stories naturally become richer. Not just more inclusive, but more honest. And that honesty is what mainstream cinema and OTT truly need right now.
Looking back, what would you tell your younger self who was just beginning to understand their identity and creative voice?
It's like putting your hand on your own shoulder and telling yourself it's going to be okay.
What I'd say to my younger self is this: everyone is different, and no one is meant to be the same. Everyone carries something special in their own way. Just because someone else is doing things differently, or faster, doesn't make you any less. There is no race and no fixed pace. It's your life. You get to decide how you move through it. The only person you're ever competing with is yourself.
Don't take yourself for granted. Don't sideline your emotions or make yourself secondary. Prioritize yourself. Prioritize how you feel. Be honest. Be yourself. It's not always easy in a world where we're constantly trying to fit into patterns, please people, satisfy society, or meet expectations. But when you strip it all down, this life is yours.
The right to live it belongs to you and no one else.
Fear doesn't deserve that much power. It shouldn't control you, and it shouldn't be taught either. So don't be scared. You will figure it out. In many ways, you already have. You are already here.
And above all, be grateful. For the small moments, the small interactions, the quiet phases, and everything that's shaping you along the way. It all matters.
Queer representation in Indian entertainment has evolved significantly in the last decade. What shifts have stood out to you the most as both an artist and an audience member? Do you think Indian cinema and OTT storytelling are finally moving toward more honest, layered queer narratives; or are we still stuck in certain stereotypes?
Yes, it has evolved a lot. The biggest shift for me is that there are simply more queer stories being told now, and more on the way. We've clearly moved away from a time when queerness in Indian entertainment was mostly treated as comic relief. Today, there is a genuine attempt to tell more human stories. That said, I wouldn't say we're fully there yet. There are still very few representations that feel truly real and authentic, but the direction feels right.
As an audience member, I feel hopeful. Queer narratives are growing, but many of them still remain limited to festival films and niche spaces. They aren't reaching mass audiences the way they should. I think a big shift will happen when queer characters are slowly and naturally integrated into commercial cinema, without making them
comic or "special cases," and given the same emotional weight as any straight couple.
As an artist, I strongly believe normalization is key. The more we stop highlighting queerness as something separate, the easier it becomes for people to accept. The moment we label it too much, we create distance.
At this point, it shouldn't be a "queer love story." It should just be a love story. Adding to that, I feel queer lives and queer representation come with many layers, and those layers deserve honesty. Telling a queer story just for the sake of representation, or to earn a "progressive" stamp, is not enough.
I also feel we need to stop labelling characters as "queer characters." We've never called anyone a "straight character." The moment sexuality becomes the defining trait, it reduces a person to one aspect of their identity. Sexuality is a preference, not the entirety of someone's life. A character can exist fully, with desires, flaws, love, and conflict, and still be queer without that being the headline.
Continue with Google