Mahalakshmi also added that activist Priya Babu, Founder of Transgender Resource Centre and organiser of this event, has been doing a long-term research on the topic and would know more on the topic. It would make sense for researchers to explore more on this topic rather than just showing them as people with greater sexual feelings,” she explained. “There are literary proofs to indicate that trans women were not just present in the harem but they were brigadiers, spies of spies and commander-in-chief during the Chola dynasty. Mahalakshmi drew the participants’ attention to the presence of trans women in Tamil history. “Small changes like these matter the most to us,” he said. Sreejith further shared an experience where the community expressed disappointment over a slur used in Mari Selvaraj’s acclaimed Pariyerum Perumal, and the team spent a lot of time and money to beep out those words. But in spite of the number of protests we’ve done, especially for Shankar’s I and Thiyagarajan’s Super Deluxe, no one even acknowledged our voices,” he said, the anger in his voice evident. “When one Rajinikanth fan felt bad for an innocent joke in Comali, the director, producer put out a video apology. Pointing out that very few from the film industry have listened to the community, Sreejith said it was important to make those changes for future viewing. When we told him how wrong it was, as someone who had been very supportive of the community, he remained silent. No trans person ever makes an entry into their house the way Vijay Sethupathi does. Although I loved Ramya Krishnan’s role in the film, I was appalled by the way they portrayed Shilpa’s character. “We did so even after Super Deluxe came out.
Sreejith pointed out that when the trans community speaks up and protests against a particular portrayal, the film industry remains mute.
“When I sit to watch a film together with my family, imagine how they’d feel when someone from the trans community is shown in such an insensitive manner?” she asked. “Directors like Shankar, Ameer, Gautham Menon, Thiyagarajan Kumararaja, Anand Shankar owe us an apology,” she said. All the directors owe us an apology but we never get it,” she said, listing films like Palabishegam, Paruthiveeran, Ninaithale Inikkum (2009), Sillunu Oru Kaadhal, Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, Super Deluxe and Iru Mugan. “For long in cinema, portrayal of trans people has always been for the sake of comedy. While speaking on the topic, Kalki listed some of the most regressive depictions of trans people in cinema. The jokes in Nayanthara-Sivakarthikeyan’s Mr Local with a trans man too were in bad taste.” What does it mean? How is it funny?” she asked adding, “What is shown on screen is far from reality. “Take for instance Vadivelu’s ‘Avana nee’ line. Mahalakshmi also drew attention to the kind of dialogues and scenes shown in movies that are disrespectful to the community. Reporters can use ‘Orupaal eerpu kondavargal’ instead of ‘orina chiyarkayalargal’, and also use ‘magizhvan’ and ‘magizhvi’ for gay and lesbians and ‘idailingainar’ for intersex people,” she said. “The word ‘Tirunangai’ came into use only recently, earlier people used a slur. Kalki, while answering questions later, also listed some of the alternate words the press can use.
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