QUEERLY BELOVED: INDIA’S FIRST ROMCOM CENTRED ON A BIG FAT INDIAN GAY WEDDING

Penguin Random House India, is proud to publish Queerly Beloved by Lambda Literary Award finalist Farhad J. Dadyburjor. Against the vibrant backdrop of glittering Mumbai society, this heart-warming gay romcom explores the quest for a ‘queer ever-after’ in a world often uninclined to grant it. Releasing on Valentines’ Day 2026, The novel marks a first in Indian publishing: no book before this has centred an Indian gay wedding as its emotional and narrative heart.

On the surface, Queerly Beloved is playful, funny and indulgently romantic, complete with dramatic families, champagne-fuelled celebrations and all the excess of a traditional Indian shaadi. Beneath the sparkle, however, it engages deeply with urgent, real-world questions: the non-legalisation of same-sex marriage in India, the social invisibility of queer families, and the very real obstacles queer couples face when trying to build a life together from adoption to surrogacy.

What sets Queerly Beloved apart is its refusal to frame queer lives through trauma alone. In an Indian literary landscape where queer stories are often marked by tragedy, secrecy or suffering, this book makes a radical choice: it centres queer joy.

What does a big fat Indian wedding look like when the couple getting married are two men — and the law still refuses to recognise their love?

The history of queer literature has a long lineage of stories concerning the trauma that comes with living a socially marginalised identity. These narratives have played a crucial role in bearing witness to exclusion, violence, and silence, often functioning as acts of survival and resistance. However, as queer identities have gained greater visibility in popular culture and publishing, readers are increasingly questioning whether trauma must remain the primary entry point into queer storytelling. A growing movement towards an alternative literature celebrating queer joy has taken momentum with readers across the world.

This shift is reflected in Queerly Beloved, a new queer romantic comedy that foregrounds joy and emotional ease as its central narrative drivers.

Set in a contemporary rom-com landscape, Queerly Beloved follows a tangled love triangle that threatens to upend Mumbai-based industrialist Ved Mehra’s plans for a big fat Indian wedding with his partner, Carlos Silva. As the couple prepares to tie the knot after three years together, Ved must navigate a whirlwind of family drama: his newly divorced mother Dolly is planning a romance of her own, long-hidden secrets involving his father resurface, and his ex-boyfriend Akshay reappears, determined to win him back. Against the vibrant backdrop of glittering Mumbai society, this heart-warming gay romcom explores the quest for a ‘queer ever-after’ in a world often uninclined to grant it.

Reading highlights:

• A Bollywood-Style Queer Rom-Com: Follow Ved Mehra and Carlos Silva as they navigate love, chaos, and a “big fat Indian wedding” against the glittering backdrop of Mumbai society.
• Family, Friendship, and Second Chances: Complex family dynamics are at the heart of the story as we follow Ved’s mother, father, and former fiancée who navigate their o roles in the society.
• Navigating Social and Legal Realities: The novel addresses workplace inclusivity and India’s Surrogacy (Regulation) Act 2021, highlighting the real-world challenges queer couples face.

Written by one of India’s most distinctive LGBTQ+ voices, Queerly Beloved also reflects the lived contradictions of contemporary India — a country where queer relationships are increasingly visible in popular culture, yet remain legally unrecognised. The novel asks a deceptively simple question: what does commitment mean when the state refuses to see you?

About the Author

FARHAD DADYBURJOR has been an entertainment and lifestyle journalist for over twenty years. Born and based in Mumbai, India, he has held several senior editorial positions, including at DNA newspaper, as launch editor at the international men’s magazine FHM, and currently at The Leela Magazine. He has also written for numerous publications and has a blog of his own. His debut novel, How I Got Lucky, was a satire on India’s celebrity culture that was hailed as “racy, sexy, and riotous” by Vogue India. His second novel The Other Man, published worldwide by Lake Union was a heartwarming gay romcom, and was a Lambda Award finalist in 2022.

Published: Feb/2026