Transgender as agents of change

Transgender individuals facing discrimination and fighting for a just place in Indian society is a continuing struggle, which is well-documented. Despite insurmountable odds, this section of Indian population has made its unique contribution to the wellbeing of the society in its own manner. If this is the grim reality, their depiction in popular media and across digital platforms still lacks sensitivity. Worse, the caricaturing about their individual characteristics, their body language, articulation and expressions has more often than not been a continuing source of humour for the normal folk.

The miniscule number of transgender people who have made it into respectable positions in Indian society had been duly showcased by the media. However, the unease and reluctance to accept them for what they are and how they behave is still widely prevalent, despite the transgender people making it into slots in governance, civil society activism and media platforms. Declared as a third gender in India in April 2014, the transgender presence in cinema too is slowly inching its way up. It is still not a realistic, graphic depiction of their lives and times but attempts are being made to keep their identity in focus while churning out watchable, commercial fare.

A recent Telugu film ‘Arddhanaari’ helmed by debutante director Bhanushekar Chowdhary, showcases the hero as a transgender person as a crusader combating social problems. It has a hard-hitting message for the common folk, urging them to be patriotic and raise their voice for collective good. Undaunted by rebuffs from established stars who refused to accept his film plotline Chowdhary comes up with a bold film and a fresh star cast in the film.

His film joins those made by directors like Lawrence (‘Kanchana’) in Tamil and Telugu and Mahesh Bhatt in Hindi (‘Sadak’) who gave their other gender characters, fierce dimensions to counter the abnormal status they enjoy in the society, while meeting commercial cinematic considerations. Placing itself in the genre of movies where a lone, highly-committed individual fights a slew of unjust, corrupt and tyrannical set of powerful people, the film maintains a steady tempo and showcases a naive, idealistic protagonist who has his own ‘Panchasutram’ to cleanse India of its ills.

Nothing very different, as many films, both high and low-budget, have based their themes on such a topic over the years, one may feel. The interesting twist is the lead is a transgender person, on whose name the film is titled, with a cold, calculating avenging character. Why a transgender to whip the system into submission and how an idealist turns a murderer is what this film, commensurately garnished with commercial orientations is all about.

While highlighting the miserable, discriminated lives the transgender community leads, boxed in by an exploiting law and order machinery and considered fair game by lusty men, the director keeps his focus bang on the mystery-wrapped story which keeps the audience interested- what is this male, acting as a half-male-half-female up to? It may not have gone the whole distance by having a real transgender person as the leading character but opening up a niche for such portrayals is by itself an encouraging sign for this community which needs an equitable treatment, a right vested on it as Indians.

By K Naresh Kumar