"This is a defining moment in the history of free India. No state has the right to tell its citizens when or whom to love. The only 'queer' people are those who propagate hate," filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt said.

"It is a very important judgement, it sends the correct signals across. It was not an overnight change. People will now be able to live without any fear, fear of being blackmailed or anything," said filmmaker Onir whose ‘My Brother Nikhil’ and ‘Bas Ek Pal’ dealt with the concept of homosexuality.

"The law was never a part of our culture, it should have gone away with colonialism. It only applies to Delhi jurisdiction, but I hope it has a greater impact. It is a step which the rest of the country should follow," Onir said.

Bollywood heartthrob John Abraham, who won over legions of gay fans with his film ‘Dostana’, said, "I am personally very happy. I think everybody needs equal rights, irrespective of being homosexual or heterosexual. I think it's a positive step."

"Homosexuality should never be shown caricaturish, and I am totally against it. If films are made on this, it should be for entertainment. We all need to be a bit more responsible towards everybody's feelings," Abraham said.

Similar sentiments were echoed by actress Celina Jaitley who said, "It is a historical day as a very long battle has been won and India being the world's largest democracy it is so important to have the basic human rights for homosexuals."