Transgender and Tamil cinema

IndiaGlitz
2nd February 2008

Tamil cinema is notorious for its insensitive depiction of transgender persons. Though the organizations of transgender persons have condemned the filmmakers for insulting them in every possible manner, no one seems to be showing respect to their sentiments.

Jeeva starrer ‘Thenavattu’, however, tries to make amends to this disturbing trend by depicting transgender persons in proper perspective. Director V.V. Kathir has made Revathi, a transgender, act in his movie. She has got such a strong role that everyone who sees the movie would start looking at them with a new perception, says the director. He is confident that the film will make the people treat transgender persons as their own brothers or sisters or friends.

Transgender organizations have hailed government’s recent proposal to create a welfare board for them. They would also welcome this film, which seeks to portray their lives in a sensitive manner.