India's first transwoman bull trainer and owner from Madurai, Keerthana, was one among the several thousand protesters against the ban on the 1500-year-old traditional sport of Jallikattu in 2017 across Tamil Nadu. What began as a public reclamation of Tamil pride turned into a personal journey of self-assertion as she resolved to enter the arena or 'vadivaasal' of the ancient sport dominated by men.
Watch the video to know the story of Keerthana, the popular face of the transwoman character from the 2009 film 'Naan Kadavul', directed by Bala, triumphed in her foray into the bull-taming sport. The 36-year-old beams with pride as her bulls have won between 500-550 times at major jallikattu events conducted across the state, including Avaniyapuram, Palamedu and Alanganallur.