In the past 10 years, queer communities have become much more networked than before, points out theater artiste Vikram Phukan. And because of this entire network, news circulates faster, including the news of death. “What I observed was that more and more young people from the community, who were passing away for various reasons, were being talked about on the Internet. In the 1990s or the 2000s, when I was growing up, there might've been the same preponderance of young deaths, but because we weren't so well-networked then, we didn't get to know about them. Even if you're not personally connected to these people, belonging to the same community means feeling connected in a way," Phukan tells us, adding that the death of some of his closest acquaintances further hit home.

Actors shoot in front of a green screen. Pics Courtesy/Jai Khadilkar