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I hadn't written about the film 'Ninithaale Inikkum' only because that will add to the film's publicity in someways. Now that the film is almost out of the theatres, I can raise the issue of how it insults and discriminates transgender people in the name of cheap comedy. I saw this film only to observe how stupid the director could be and how ignorant and heartless the actors who did the scenes are.
Film directors like Bala, Maniratnam and Mishkin observe and understand the struggles of socially under privileged people. Their film are the proof. Some people like GNR Kumaravelan only have technical skills, imagination and nothing beyond that. That is the reason people like him continue to exploit TG women in the name of cheap comedy entertainment. The director of this film GNR Kumaravelan looks like an educated man, but unfortunately he isn't civilzed. That shows up in his perverted. His future in the film industry is simply doomed. That is a prediction and a curse from the wounded tigresses here.
A straightly copied comedy scene from an early 90's Tamil film is used here to tickle people. The fact is, this comedy scene didn't amuse people. It degrades, discriminates, insults, offends and upsets the Thirunangai women.
This is what the scene is:
The two heroes and their sidekick go to a movie theatre. Each of them happen to sit next to beautiful girls. In a few minutes, these girls touch them, caress them and seduce them. The boys are seduced and begin to flirt with the girls. One guy sleeps on the lap of a tg girl. At one point of time, one of them finds out that all the three girls are 'not true women'. They are hijras/aravaanis/thirunan gais/transsexuals. They run out of the theatre and outside in the corridors, they all laugh of having escaped from the hijras. The hero says, 'Didn't you get a better place to sleep? Come on, I will take you to a place where you will lose your sleep'. And then, all of them go to a caberet place where 'real women' gyrate their hips, show their voluptous 'original' breasts and bodies.
What comes as a blow in this movie is, how they had used real transgender girls to degrade and mock transgenders. These three girls who have acted in the movie are real transgender women from Chennai. They had been approached and lured by the director's assistants for 'acting with Prithviraj'. They were paid Rs.1500 for a day's work. Only after entering the set, they have been told the scene. None of them liked it, but did not have the guts to say 'no' and protest against such insulting portrayal. They had to act and they did. They thought it is a light comedy. The director had not explained in detail to them.
After the release when the girls saw the film, they were shocked, They regreted having acted in this film. While many of us activists do advise transpeople to beware of such film people and portrayal in films, it is not always possible to stop the transgenders being exploited. A few thousand rupees and they are ready to be stripped down, thrown stones, laughed at to do anything because.. BECAUSE THEY ARE POOR AND NEED MONEY.
During the shooting, actor Prithviraj had passed lewd comments and laughed at them. One of the tg girls retorted back loudly and indirectly on his 'lost charm' and 'diminishing looks' and how there are thousands of talented and good looking men who deserve to be heroes. This had made the hero shut his mouth.
The only solution to stop this mess is to advice the censor board not to allow such degrading scenes in films. Even the censor board members need sensitization. Few activists from Sahodari, Sangama and other organizations have come together. We will apprach the board in the next few days.
Now, what should Sun pictures do? They should not allow such scenes in their films anymore. Television channels should not run this type of comedy on their channels. Newspapers should condemn such scenes. The rights activists should express their displeasure about such scenes and take action. How about slapping the director of this film? What would you suggest?
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