உள்ளச்சம் tackles the terrain of queer visibility in contemporary urban India with nuance, exploring how even seemingly progressive spaces can harbor deep-seated expectations of invisibility. The central tension between Murali and Arjun, a gay couple, between their desire for authentic public existence and their community’s demand for discretionary silence captures a painful reality that many straight people are oblivious to.
The story’s strength lies in its dual character study. Murali and Arjun represent one path: choosing visibility despite social pressure; while Ashwath, a neighbor and a long-time acquaintance, embodies the devastating alternative of prolonged suppression. The story wisely avoids simple victim-villain dynamics by revealing Ashwath’s homophobia as misdirected self-loathing, though this risks excusing harmful behavior through psychological explanation.
Vijay’s exploration of “respectability politics” feels particularly relevant – how professional status (a teacher & an engineer) and social conformity (well-behaved, likable residents) can provide conditional acceptance until authentic self-expression crosses invisible boundaries. The pride parade becomes a crucial flashpoint, representing the moment private accommodation transforms into a public “problem.”
The dissolution of Ashwath’s marriage provides a fitting, but perhaps overly neat conclusion to his arc of self-destruction (and a possible authentic revival). Could a more ambiguous ending have better reflected the messy realities of coming to terms with suppressed identity? Also, the turn of events around the Indian independence day seems to suggest that we’re still some ways to go before everybody can celebrate their individual freedoms – a point not so subtle.
Overall, உள்ளச்சம் succeeds in illuminating the psychological toll of conditional acceptance while highlighting how homophobia often stems from internalized shame, which is intself a valuable contribution to contemporary queer literature in the Indian context.
PS: The elevator scene serves as a dramatic pivot, crystallizing years of repressed desire and internalized shame into one explosive moment. However, the non-consensual nature of this encounter requires careful handling to avoid romanticizing sexual assault, even within the context of closeted desperation.
Transverse 