Queerforming norms: Sexual politics in the New Normal

Monisha Mohan Menon’s Malayalam short film New Normal challenges entrenched heteronormative narratives within Indian cinema by reframing queer relationships as mundane and normalized rather than sensationalized or tragic. Featuring nuanced performances by Anagha Maya Ravi (as Appu) and Swiya (as Isha), the film anchors its subversions in the physical and emotional susceptibilities of its cast. Rather than relying on traditional Bollywood or mainstream regional banalities of tragedy or comic relief, Menon employs intimate domestic cinematography and pragmatic dialogue to portray queerness as an authentic, subjective experience. This article dissects how the film subverts traditional narratives of identity formation and societal expectations through the lens of Judith Butler’s gender performativity, Michel Foucault’s power dynamics and Sara Ahmed’s queer phenomenology. By examining the protagonist’s negotiations of everyday institutional and cultural power structures, the analysis demonstrates how New Normal advocates for a flexible definition of self in opposition to imposed heterosexual norms. It positions the film as a crucial vehicle for cultural discourse, illustrating how contemporary Indian independent cinema actively dismantles the historical marginalization of LGBTQ+ experiences.