Made in Heaven Season 2: The fight against homophobia & polygamy came together

Made in Heaven Season 2, the OTT series created by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, is back with a bang on Amazon Prime Video after four years. One of the most poignant narrative threads in Season 2 is the bond of solidarity that grows between Shehnaz (Dia Mirza) – a Muslim heterosexual woman fighting polygamy – and Karan (Arjun Mathur), a Hindu gay man fighting homophobia. They come together in the new season’s sixth episode, which is directed by Alankrita Srivastava who has also written the series along with Akhtar and Kagti.

Shehnaz’s husband, Wasim (Parvin Dabas) in Made in Heaven Season 2, wants a second marriage. His new bride-to-be is Elmira (Kallirroi Tziafeta), an air hostess he met on a flight from London to Antwerp. Wasim hires Karan to be his wedding planner. Since Shehnaz is still married to Wasim, and they live together with their children and Wasim’s mother Nagma (Anita Kanwal), Karan and Shehnaz meet in the course of the wedding preparations. Karan senses that Shehnaz is unhappy, and cannot bear to be replaced by another woman, but she is reluctant to speak about her feelings.

While Shehnaz’s life seems to be defined mainly by her responsibilities as a wife, mother and daughter-in-law, she is aware of the world outside her palatial house. When she finds a quiet moment with Karan, she tells him that she recognizes him because she had been following his case. This is a reference to the public interest litigation that Karan had filed against Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which was used to criminalize consensual sex between men.

“The way you stood up to be counted, that was amazing!” says Shehnaz, expressing her admiration for the way in which Karan, who was first arrested for having sex with a man and then sexually assaulted by a cop in prison, chose to fight homophobia. That was in Season 1. Season 2 takes place in an India where consensual sex between men is decriminalized. Shehnaz is proud of Karan for taking the legal route to claim the rights that he deserves.

Karan is surprised to find this unexpected ally. Instead of simply feeling sorry, he wants to reciprocate the support that Shehnaz offers him. Soon after she tells Karan about how she got married to Wasim in a simple ceremony with a qazi and rooh afza, Karan says, “Sometimes, it just takes a few people to take a stand. I wish they knew that. Equality is your birthright.”

Unfortunately, Shehnaz feels helpless when it comes to her own situation. When she makes it clear to her mother-in-law Nagma that Wasim’s decision to have a second wife is a source of great distress, Nagma reminds him that polygamy is permitted in Islamic law. Shehnaz tries to reason with her. “People change with the times. For centuries, slavery was permitted too. Wasn’t slavery banned?” she says. Nagma does not have a problem with her son Wasim’s decision, so she recommends a divorce. This solution is not as easy as it appears. Shehnaz is sure that Wasim will make it difficult for her to get custody of their sons, who are minors.

Marriage, which has turned into a gilded cage for Shehnaz, has a different meaning for people like Karan who cannot get married even if they want to. This episode clarifies that the fight against homophobia is far from over after the reading down of Section 377, which is celebrated as a landmark victory. Marriage equality continues to be a distant dream. The same episode features a commitment ceremony between Radhika (Sheena Khalid) and Aditi (Shibani Dandekar Akhtar), lesbian lovers who cannot get married under Indian law. They cannot wait for the state to catch up, so they exchange vows in the presence of loved ones.

Now Karan’s sexual orientation cannot be used to throw him behind bars but his mother, who is dying of cancer, refuses to love him the way he is. She wants to die because she cannot bear to have a gay son. She alleges that she is unwell because of him. Karan’s aunt even tries to convince him to marry a woman. It is heartwarming to see that Karan and Shehnaz, who are oppressed in different ways, are able to see beyond their own suffering and reach out.

When Karan finds Shehnaz missing from Wasim’s wedding celebrations, he suspects that something is wrong. He rushes to her house, and finds her lying unconscious after a suicide attempt. Her life is saved because of his empathy and his presence of mind. Karan is aware that Wasim could make his life miserable for venturing beyond the professional brief and getting entangled in personal matters but Karan does not care. He believes that he owes this to Shehnaz. She was following his case and cheering for him when he was struggling.

Karan brings Shehnaz to a hospital. When she regains consciousness, he tells her, “You can’t do this, Shehnaz. You have to stand up and be counted. And your boys, they need you. They need you to get up and fight.” Overwhelmed by all that has happened, she says, “Thank you!”

Wasim has the audacity to visit Shehnaz and tell her that he has sent the boys home and has not told anyone about the suicide attempt. Shehnaz calls him out in that very instant. “You really care about my dignity, don’t you?” She wants him to know that she is not a doormat. She is a warrior. He defends himself by saying that he has not done anything illegal as polygamy is permitted in Islamic law. Shehnaz is not willing to buy that explanation.

She tells him, “That is the tragedy. I have made up my mind. I am going to fight to change the law that allows people like you to do this. I am going to fight to make polygamy illegal.” It is evident that the courage she admired in Karan is also rising up from deep within herself. “I am not only a Muslim. I am a citizen of this country. We should have rights too,” she says.

It is unfortunate that the makers of this show are getting flak for being too woke, a word that is now used to shut down people who dare to raise questions about unjust practices, whether it is homophobia or non-consensual polygamy. Mirza and Mathur have performed the roles assigned to them with confidence and sensitivity, and this episode will hopefully go a long way in transforming the hearts and minds of people who use tradition to justify cruelty.

Chintan Girish Modi is a writer and journalist who tweets @chintanwriting