Varada Sethu explains the impact of the first queer relationship in Star Wars
BY YASMIN VINCE, IMAGE BY DISNEY+
When Andor’s first season came out in 2022, it featured the first queer relationship in the Star Wars franchise. Cinta Kaz, played by Doctor Who’s Varada Sethu, and Vel Sartha, played by Faye Marsay, were introduced as two rebels whose relationship was strained by Cinta’s commitment to the rebellion. As the pair make their way back to the screen in the second season of Andor, Varada explains why the sapphic relationship is so special, even when the two hurt each other.
Talking to Elle, Varada said the relationship is a “mirror into the world”. She admitted that Cinta often hurts Vel, and the pair rarely meet each other’s needs but this is precisely what makes the relationship so important to include. “It’s a gay relationship, but it’s also a real one,” she said. “It’s not healthy, and I love that. That’s also a mirror into the world.”
“It’s so special to be a part of something that’s so truthful,” she added. “Despite being set in space.” Varada went on to say that she felt privileged to be in a show that is “unapologetically reflecting back to the world the state of things”. Sci-fi shows, like Andor and the rest of the Star Wars franchise, have a history of working what is happening in the real world into their stories, particularly when it comes to LGBTQIA representation. For instance, one of the first lesbian kisses to be televised on American TV happened on Star Trek in 1995.
Similarly, Doctor Who, in which Varada is the latest companion, Belinda Chandra, has often used its storylines to challenge discriminatory behaviours in society. The show has repeatedly been called too “woke”, but Varada told Radio Times that she just sees this as proof “we’re doing the right thing”.
Touching on the state of politics right now and its impact on the queer community, Varada said the “world is such a divided place” and that the relationship between Cinta and Vel feels “so much more truthful than a lot of things happening right now”.
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