Trans journey, with ups & downs
In the Pride month, Tiger Baby Productions brings much cheer and ‘pride’ to not just the trans community, but Indian society on the whole.
Moving from the stereotypical ‘hijra’ tag, that’s looked down upon, trans individuals are today working in medicine, education, corporate sector and films; they have successful marriages and children, all the while embracing their identity.
With growing access to support systems and significant medical advancements in gender-affirming procedures, trans people now have more resources than ever to help them on their journey. This progress is not just encouraging — it is a sign of a more inclusive and compassionate society.
The four-part docuseries brings nine stories; each details their first realisation, coming out, finding love and dreams, respectively.
Trans awareness is surely on the rise and one has definitely heard of the challenges they face in getting accepted by their families. Some stories walk down that path. It is reassuring to know there are some who got support right at home. For the others, the way forward was via hypnosis and even shock therapy to turn them ‘straight’.
The first few introduced in the series, like clinical psychologist Aryan, activist Sheena and counsellor Madhuri, are articulate. Some stories stick with you — how Aryan found identity and expression in Kajal bhai’s tomboyish character from ‘Hum Paanch’; or Teena, born as Arif in the Van Gujjar community, realised who she was when she saw her Bua’s red wedding suit. How brave of them to accept and stick to their truth!
As the film progresses, one gets to know of their struggle with gender dysphoria — the distress experienced due to a difference between a person’s gender identity and their sex assigned at birth.
Through love, loss, families… it takes a happy turn and the last episode leaves one smiling to see these nine drop their baggage and move on to make the world an equal place.
Amongst the highs of the series is its varied representation — from Agartala to Mumbai, different social strata, and the different arcs that each journey gets. On the downside, the nine stories, told in the interview format, crisscross and make it difficult to keep up with. Sometimes it feels too filmi, and somewhat staged as well.
If you are looking for titillation, this is not for you. If you have trans people around or have seen films/series on the topic, it might not offer shock or novelty value. But if you haven’t, it may be a good start. As Madhuri puts it, “People think differently about transgenders, but when they spend a day with them, they know how they really are.”
Even if her biological family ‘deleted’ her from their life, her husband Jay and his family have accepted and appreciated her as bahu, chachi, mami… The couple’s wait for adoption rights in the country is symbolic of the struggle that lies ahead.
You can’t expect a miracle, only work towards it…
Movie Review