Sachin Jain (50) rolls back the years to the 1990s, when he moved to Thane for work. The gay man born and raised here, a ‘Bandra boy’ like we say in aamchi Mumbai thought all will go well in the central suburb, his work destination.

He was unprepared for a homophobic flat mate. Jain said, “He made insulting remarks after learning I am gay. My neighbour invaded my privacy by looking through the keyhole. My landlord prohibited me from putting up curtains and asked me to leave abruptly. When I spoke to other gay men in the late 1990s about their experiences, many had faced similar situations after moving to Mumbai in search of greater personal freedom.”