The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Transgenders resent portrayal in movies

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Saturday, Nov 28, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Transgenders resent portrayal in movies

S. Aishwarya and K. Lakshmi

CHENNAI: Even as the transgender community is trying to get rid of the stigma and social discrimination with the support of governmental and non-governmental organisations, many of them still feel that the portrayal of their community in the mainstream films needs to undergo a sea change.

Scenes from a few recent Tamil movies ridiculing the transgendered has triggered voices of protest from the community, who feel sexual stereotyping in films would form deep impressions in the minds of people and they should be banned.

P.Shakthi Devi, a social worker who is a transgender herself, says several awareness campaigns are being taken up to mainstream the transgender in the society. “But, the depiction of transgender characters in the films and television programmes are often humiliating. Most of them use humour as a garb to ridicule our community.”

Transgendered also say many filmmakers believe that depicting them at least in one scene or a song would spell success for the movies.

T.V. Shivakumar, project co-ordinator of Sangama, a non-governmental organisation working with the transgendered, says filmmakers exploit their vulnerability, as they agree to act in such roles for want of money.

However, some feel that change is perceptible on the television front. Vijay TV aired a show anchored by Rose Venkatesan, a transgendered person. “When I entered the television industry, the transgendered were not portrayed in a sensitive way. It is utterly shocking to see films mocking our identity.” She is optimistic that the society will grow out of a negative attitude towards them.

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