FOR over a century, Indian films have portrayed transgender characters either as villains or have used them for comic relief. Such stereotypical portrayals fail to bring to the fore the complex lives of transgenders who have been living on the margins of society for thousands of years. Such character misrepresentation has been happening for too long, at least in the Indian film industry.
Though in the recent past an attempt has been made to portray the transgender community with utmost sensitivity in films and series, Sushmita Senstarrer Taali has initiated a pertinent debate—Can gender be performed? While a few transgender-transexual activists and scholars are of the opinion that actors, by the very virtue of their jobs, are free to take up any roles, another section thinks it is a time-tested mechanism to deny deserved representation to transgender actors.
Some recent films have chosen to focus on the complexity of trans lives, but cis-gender actors were picked to play the roles of transgenders. While Than gam (2020), a part of the Sudha Kongaradirected anthology Paava Kadhiagal, was critically appreciated for showcasing the character of 27-year-old transgender Saathar, who is secretly in love with their childhood friend Saravanan, the role was played by cis-gender actor Kalidas Jayaram. Even Vijay Sethupati’s noteworthy acting in Tamil film Super Deluxe (2019) couldn’t evade the allegation of appropriating the role of a trans woman.
Bu hikaye Outlook dergisinin September 11, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Outlook dergisinin September 11, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Soft Ruins
'Soft Ruins' is a chapter within the long-term ongoing project \"When Spring Never Comes\", an expansive exploration of memory, identity and displacement in the aftermath of exile within contemporary global politics. It reflects on how the journey as an asylum seeker in Europe mirrors the instability and threats of life under dictatorship, amidst rising right-wing movements and shifting power dynamics, where both certainty and identity are redefined
Building Beyond Homes: Provident Housing's Transformative Approach
Provident Housing leads in crafting thoughtfully designed homes that cater to modern homebuyers' evolving needs. With a focus on timely delivery, sustainability, and innovative, customer-centric solutions, the company sets new benchmarks. In this exclusive interview, Mallanna Sasalu, CEO of Provident Housing, shares insights into the company's strategies, upcoming projects, and vision for India's housing future.
Syria Speaks
A Syrian graffiti artist-activist's tale of living through bombings, gunshots and displacement
The Burdened
Yemen, once a beautiful land identified with the Queen of Sheba, is now one of the worst ongoing humanitarian disasters of modern times
Sculpting In Time
Documentaries such as Intercepted and Songs of Slow Burning Earth grapple with the Russian occupation beyond displays of desolation
The Story Won't Die
Is Israel's triumphalism over its land grab in Syria realistic? The hard reality is-Israel now has Al-Qaeda as a next-door neighbour
Against the Loveless World
In times of war, love exists as a profound act of defiance
Soul of My Soul
What does it mean to continue to create art during a genocide?
in Dancing the Glory of Monsters
By humanising the stories of those affected by war, poverty and displacement, Buuma hopes to foster empathy and inspire action
All the President's Men
Co-author of All The President's Men and one of the two Washington Post journalists (the other was Carl Berntstein) who broke the Watergate scandal that brought down the President Richard Nixon administration in the United States in 1974, Bob Woodward's recent book War was on top of The New York Times Bestseller list, even above John Grisham.
