Anjali Ameer, the transgender model. Remember this name
Those, who will watch the upcoming film "Peranbu," will probably watch it because of their favorite Malayalam superstar Mammootty. However, they will also witness a salient footnote in the Indian transgender history. This is because Anjali Ameer, a transgender, will be there starring as one of the female leads in this movie. It's a significant step towards a rainbow-colored world. Here's more about it.
A crass depiction
Indians, for a long period of time, have been stuck in a limbo. Our dogmatic attitude towards gender gets reflected in movie selections. When one talks about transgender characters in Indian movies, we are quick to point out Bobby Darling in "Kya Kool Hai Hum" or the violent portrayal of a transgender woman by Ashutosh Rana in the 1999 movie "Sangharsh." But, hold on.
Tides of change
The same Ashutosh Rana, in the 2005 movie "Shabnam Mausi," portrayed the role of a transgender in a nuanced manner. It depends on what you want to see. All this time we've only focused on crass portrayals and the stellar insightful ones have gone unnoticed. However, things are changing. Anjali's debut on the silver screen marks an inclusion that should have happened long back.
Becoming what she was meant to be
Anjali had her sex change surgery done at the age of 20. "After completing my class 10th, I started trying to undergo this change. Initially, it wasn't acceptable for my family. So, I ran away from home. I lived with transgender communities in Coimbatore and Bengaluru in the next couple of years. It was a period of real personal struggle," she said.
Bagging the coveted role
Anjali was offered a title role in a TV serial on a popular Malayalam channel. However, after the production house discovered that she was a transsexual, they started avoiding here. Mammootty heard her speaking about this ordeal in an interview and suggested her name to the director. Anjali never intends to hide her identity. "I am proud to be a transwoman," she says.
India's role-models
This movie, although a regional one, is a sign of acceptance that has been denied to the LGBTQ community. This is what makes Anjali's story important or the story of one 26-year-old Kolkata-based Nitasha Biswas, who was recently crowned as India's first "Trans Queen," important. They are the ones, who are breaking the glass ceiling and hopefully, many will follow.
Remember them
Although in 2014, the Supreme Court gave the transgender community the right to identify themselves as the third gender, the social persecution still continues. However, slowly but steadily they are achieving heart-warming victories. When the movie releases, watching Anjali Ameer on screen would give several individuals the courage to carry on the good fight towards creating a society that doesn't discriminate.
Are you curious?
Recently an Indian YouTube channel called TransVision was launched. It features some amazing transgender ladies, who provide insight into their lives. It is run by Hyderabad-based transwoman activist Rachana Mudraboyina. If you have questions, that'd be a good place to start from. You can also participate in some of the Indian LGBTQ parades and strike up a conversation. It'll be worth the trouble.
