Trans Artists and Paava Kathaigal
After watching Paava Kadhaigal, a Tamil anthology film on Netflix, I was thrown into a pool of distress. Out of the four stories, the segments made by Sudha Kongara and Vetri Maaran impacted me the most. The treatment given to both films were distinct from each other, yet very apt for the issues they were addressing through their films, and they had stellar performances from the actors that starred in them. Although I would love to discuss in detail about the two films individually, this post is meant for a different discussion altogether. The projection of trans people over the time have evolved from misogynistic and transphobic to responsible and inclusive. The world is more transparent than ever before with the advent of technology and social media. Films are taken more seriously than ever before, paying attention to the nonverbal communication being made. So, filmmakers today are pushed to be more responsible, research driven and empathetic when they’re expressing their views on screen.
Sudha Kongara’s segment in the anthology is an example of an honest expression of empathy. The lead character in the film is a trans person played by Kalidas Jeyaram who puts forth a stellar performance to convey the pain, struggle and aspirations of the character to the audience. This is the first Tamil film to have a trans character as the lead, which is great progress in terms of cultural development and inclusivity. Previously, Vijay Sethupathi’s role in Super Deluxe as a trans woman was also lauded nationwide. Now that the industry is seeing a progressive shift, I think it’s the right time to ask this question. Where does the industry stand in welcoming trans actors? Directors like Ram, Samuthirakani and Mysskin have casted trans actors in their movies, some in pivotal roles as well. But despite being good performers, we don’t see them repeatedly in many films. This issue is being discussed in a global level today, but in a purely political perspective.
I’d like to try turning the table and discuss this from the perspective of art. It’s quite understandable that a filmmaker merely does what the script demands. A filmmaker cannot afford to take the most politically fair decisions while making a film. When the script has great value, there’s nothing wrong in having a bankable actor to take it to a larger audience. At the end of the day, it’s an industry where people are investing a great deal of money, energy and creating many job opportunities. Most filmmakers cannot afford to posses a ‘Stanley Kubrick’ persona if they wanted to survive in the industry. Then there are those filmmakers who can find their sweet spot in balancing between commercial success and storytelling revolution. Filmmakers like Ram, Mysskin, Sudha Kongara, Pa. Ranjith and many more fall into this category. If not for these filmmakers, this blog post would have been impossible. Considering the forward thinking and progressive lot of filmmakers leading the Tamil film industry, it is fair to say that this discussion on welcoming trans actors (and artists) is of utmost importance today. Oh, before you ask me about Laxmi and Kanchana let me clarify — I’m talking about films and they don’t qualify as one. Moving forward.
The need for welcoming trans artists (not only actors) is beyond the argument of trans people playing trans roles. We had Cate Blanchett play Bob Dylan. In an industry dominated by men, the script required Cate to play the legendary Bob Dylan, and the result was a magical story with a stunning performance. We do need trans actors playing trans roles, no doubt. But that shouldn’t be the only sole reason why we need them. Transgender artists are more valuable to art than that. We haven’t explored an entire aspect of art — Imagine the plethora of ideas that lies within them, that’s unexplored. As a movie buff, I crave for fresh methods of storytelling on screen and here we have an entire community that’s waiting to tell stories with perspectives that were not paid heed to, for a long time. Trans artists must be welcomed for the evolution of art and not just to play trans roles. People of any gender can play roles of any gender if the script demands it. What we need them for, is to explore fresh perspectives, new ways of storytelling and expression. We need trans directors, writers, actors working hand in hand with people of all gender identities to churn out artistic content like never before.
For the love of art and humanity, I hope the day comes soon.
