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Documenting the third gender
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Transgenders speak for their rights at a film screening
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Photos: S. Siva Saravanan
Making themselves heard (Top)Transgenders
"Celebrations and
fanfare at Koovagam
festival is
just one happy
day in a year in the life of a
transgender. What about
the suffering we undergo
during the remaining 364
days?" asks Padmini, a
transgender.
A dancer and the winner
of Miss. Koovagam title
this year, she also fights for
the rights of transgenders
as secretary of Thaai Vizhudhugal
Trust.
Stills from Navarasa
"Awareness on the third
gender should reach the
youth in schools and colleges
and parents. Our soul
is that of a woman trapped
in a man's body. We have
an identify as a third gender
and we want to be respected,"
she told the
audience at a recent
screening of Santosh Sivan's
national award winning
documentary
Navarasa, which put the
spotlight on transgenders.
And, they turned out in
good numbers to voice
their woes at the interaction
organised by Cinema
Club of Coimbatore at Kasturi
Sreenivasan Trust
auditorium.
The story
The film revolves around
the story of a young girl
Shweta who sets on a journey
to Koovagam festival
to bring her uncle Gautam
back. He runs away to marry
the deity Aravan at the
festival. Along the journey
she gets a peek into the way
of life of a transgender and
their culture.
Stills from Ammayyappa
Bobby darling, actor in
Bollywood, brings out the
sadness and struggles
faced by transgenders by
narrating her story to
Swetha. When a documentary
film-maker in the movie
asks why they make a
nuisance in public places
and harasses people on
trains. Revathy, a transgender
replies: "It is frustration
on the society," and
asks "Have you been beaten
up your brother in a
cricket bat?" "I'm a Hindu,
my husband is a Christian
and my mother-in-law follows
Islam. We live in harmony
and follow religious
unity," says another transgender.
Their request - let
us live in peace.
Transgenders who
watched the film say it
failed to highlight their issues.
"Society including
parents, relatives and
friends abandon us and illtreat
us," says 55-year-old
Madhana from Ukkadam,
who makes a living as a caterer.
She, along with a
group of 10 transgenders
work as caterers and live as
one big family.
"We feel every bit a
woman. So, we love to plait
our hair, wear flowers and
wear skirts. And, that's
when the problem begins
at homes. Films should
create awareness among
parents to accept a transgender
child," they add.
Issues on lack of a third
gender column in application
forms were also discussed.
Artist Jeeva
commented the film as a
visually appealing docu
drama that failed to capture
the emotional trauma
of transgenders. Ammayyappa,
a 15-minute documentary
by Saveetha of
Cinema Club portrayed the
lives of transgenders Pattu,
Mayil and Jeevatha in
Koundampalayam and discussed
society related issues
and their voting
rights. Deepan's short-film
`Thirunangai' used camera
as a character (transgender)
to record one day in
the life of a transgender.
K. JESHI
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