Before I dived into ‘The Sting of Lavender’, the only thing I knew about it was that it was the first queer show, set and created in India, that proudly proclaimed itself a BL series, rather than a gay romance, or a queer media, as Indian series have been wont to do. That piqued my interest, as I have been waiting for India to join the BL boom ever since more and more countries across South-East and East Asia started producing their own series.

Going into it too, I had my own presumptions about what the story was going to be. Boy meets boy, boy falls in love with boy and vice versa, maybe they face some problems in the way from meddling friends and family and possible exes, but everything gets resolved neatly by the end where the two share a kiss to indicate that their happily ever after is within their reach.

Folks, if that is what you are looking for, maybe it might be better to watch a different show. This indie series is for those who want something that is deeply realistic. Often, for queer people, their romantic relationship is not the only facet of life they deal with. They have to face opposition from society, from their families, from peers, and might even their own selves in the form of internalised homophobia.

It is these issues that are tackled in “The Sting of Lavender”, along with other marked realities of life such as problems with poverty. Bimol’s budding relationship with Albert is a part of his life and of the show, but it is his struggles with having to provide for his younger brother, dealing with his alcoholic father, managing his friendships and having an internal conflict with his own self, that form the crux of the episodes.

The show had a good pacing save for the ending, which felt a little abrupt, with Albert’s sudden disappearance after episode 6, and finishing the last episode on an ambiguous note with a promise for a second season. I later got to know of some of the struggles the crew faced while filming, including homophobic backlash, that forced their direction in a certain way, which assures me that were it not for that, the show could have gotten the ending that it deserved.

They may be an indie company, with a budget not comparable to the millions put into shows by larger companies, but they do have a vision, and I look forward to what they put out next.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Streaming on: Chekla Production YouTube Channel