9 Times When Movies Hit (And Completely Missed) The Point About Transgenders!

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Lately Bollywood has started to realize its responsibility towards the LGBT community. With roles getting more sensitive and character sketches of the people getting more real and mature, it is good to see that film-makers have taken a step ahead in a positive direction. However, when it comes to transgenders,picture has not always been rosy. There have been times when such a character is shown as an effeminate man who prefers the company of men or an eunuch who loves to dress up as a woman. There have been times when film-makers were majorly confused whether their take should be realistic or should they choose a gay, lesbian or an eunuch to add humor. After a few bloopers, Bollywood definitely looks mature in dealing with such issues. Here are 9 films that dealt with transgenders. While some really nailed it, others did nothing to break stereotypes. Have a look.

1. Nirmal Pandey in Daayra (1996)

Amol Palekar's film Daayra was a beautiful tale that dealt with love, desire and gender. Palekar¡¯s daring and understanding of the third gender deserves applause. Late Nirmal Pandey played the role with such ease that by the end of the film, you start feeling for the character. The movie takes you on an emotional tour as the characters themselves travel in a complex journey that topples gender stereotypes, social attitudes and all film conventions that existed back then.

2. Arif Zakariya as Immi in Darmiyaan (1997)

Directed by Kalpana Lajmi, the movie is about story of Zeenat (Kirron Kher), who is an actress in the film. Apart from her career's rise and fall, Zeenat is also a mother of an intersex child out of wedlock. Arif Zakariya plays Immi he described that the film was an honest attempt to portray an eunuch's internal anguish. In one of the interviews, he added "I have tried to... perform the role truthfully. I didn't want to make a caricature of the character... My effort was to move the audience, not titillate them."

3. Paresh Rawal as Tikku Ali Sayed in Tamanna (1997)

Mahesh Bhatt's Tamanna was a bang on depiction of the struggles of a transgender. The film was based on a true life and Paresh Rawal defined perfection with his role. In an interview, Paresh Rawal also said "My intention was to disabuse the impression that eunuchs are not caricatures. I wanted to give them a human face and dignity."

4. Hilary Swank as Brandon Teena in Boys Don't Cry (1999)

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Hilary Swank went on to winning an Oscar for her breakthrough role as a murdered transgender man in the movie Boys Don¡¯t Cry. Today the actress believes that they have certainly taken steps ahead in becoming sensitive towards gay and transgenders. But she added that, "A long way to go before transphobia wiped out". We couldn't agree more. Isn't it?

5. Ashutosh Rana as Shabnam in Shabnam Mausi (2005)

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Based on a real-life character, Ashutosh Rana again proved his brilliance as an actor. Rana reflected the character's turmoil anguish in a way that even you would end up sympathizing with him. The film was another brave attempt of showing the real fight that transgenders fight today for their dignity in society that leaves no stone unturned in shunning away fringe people.

6. Mahesh Manjrekar as Begum in Rajjo

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Mahesh Manjrekar played the role of an eunuch in the film but he had revealed that after he played the role, his perception towards women changed. He added, ¡°Getting ready for the role this takes up a lot of time. Now I know what the heroines have to go through every day. I have begun to respect women a lot more after this. They have to carry a lot of things with them yet are so graceful.¡± Even though the movie flopped, the portrayal of Begum in the film reflected thorough understanding and sensitivity towards the eunuchs.

While Bollywood's worst and most deceptive portrayal of transgenders of the big screen include-

7. Sadashiv Amrapurkar as Maharani in Sadak

Sadashiv Amrapurkar's iconic dialogues "iss jism ke bazaar ka maharaja" still haunts us. However, an undeniable fact here is that even though director Mahesh Bhatt depicted the worst fears and myths about people who are transgender, it turned out to be villainous and negative. Though we know Bhatt's intention would never have been to deepen the stereotypes, but we wish the script handled the issues with more empathy and sensitivity.

8. Rakhi Sawant in Masti

Indra Kumar's Masti might have been one funny film but if we ever talk of worst portrayal of the trans-gender, this film wins big here! Rakhi Sawant played the role of Ms. Saxena who visits dentist Amar (Riteish Deshmukh) for a medical treatment. Both of them get attracted to each other, they dance and kiss and next? He spots her peeing standing up. He jumps from the bathroom window and he is seen cleaning his mouth because he realized that he kissed an eunuch. It could not have been more disgusting. Isn't it?

9. Bobby Darling in Kya Kool Hai Hum

In the film, Riteish Deshmukh's character wrongly thinks he wants to marry Kiran (Played by Bobby Darling). Even though in real life she has always been open about being a transwoman, it was sad to see her character revolve around he idea of trans-phobia in this film.

Even though Bollywood's approach is progressive, there's a long way to go before Hindi Cinema completely embraces the idea of equality. The solution here is to be little more empathetic towards a minority which really needs our tender love and care. In the movie Bombay Talkies, one of the short films had a striking dialogue which was a part of a conversation that a guy exchanged with his father where he reveals about his homo-sexuality to his homo-phobic father, "Main Chakka Nahi Hun. Gay Hoon. Na Chakka Hona Paap Hai...Aur Na Gay Hona..", the message was loud and clear. Isn't it?

The 101 India Transgender Project created by 101India.com powered by Indiatimes is an attempt to hammer in the idea of transgenders as 'real people', not objects of hostility. A project which for the first time gives an opportunity to the Transgender community to be photographed in roles and jobs that they'd like. Only if society let them.