CHENNAI: City-based photographer and independent cinematographer Shino Anila Cherian has always been an adventure-seeker. To unlearn, learn, fail and succeed, has been his trajectory. So in 2018, when he had to embark on a journey to Villupuram, to attend the district’s famous Koovagam transgender festival, despite being a bundle of nerves, he was ready for the experiences that were going to dot his way.
“A few years ago, I had an unpleasant experience while I was traveling. A few transwomen harassed me and extorted money and since then, I had a certain fear of persons from the gender,” he opens up.
However, when the 20-something along with his friend Ram Manu Prasad had a chance to capture the festival, he wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity. “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. Calling the fear irrational would be trivializing my experience. However, I was confident to face my fear. After all, I was going to do what I loved the most — photography. In the process, I was hoping to build better experiences with the people I was going to meet.
There was no stopping me! But little did I know that I was not just going to overcome my fear, but also discover the souls of the people I was (once) scared of. This journey opened me up to our ignorance,” narrates Shino, who in April-May 2018, travelled to the village, located about 25 kilometres away from Villupuram.
The events and experiences that he witnessed during the festival have now translated into a book, Souls of Someone.
“When I travelled to Koovagam, all I wanted to do was take photographs. Back then, I had just started exploring street and people photography. So I was excited to experiment. But when I made my way back to the city, I reflected on the sights and the stories I witnessed there. I had an urge to write a book and intersperse it with images. I wanted to transport the readers to the festival and that’s what I have attempted to do through the book. I feel accomplished not because of launching my debut book but because of playing a small role in taking the stories of those who are often marginalised to the world,” he shares.
Every year, as thousands of people — mostly transwomen gather at Koovagam, the otherwise sleepy town comes alive with dance, music, the sounds of celebration and the cries of grief.
“This is the largest transgender congregation in the country. They flock the village to revel, unwind, mourn and embrace everything that life throws at them. The festival features a religious ritual — an enactment of a scene from the Mahabharata where Lord Krishna transforms into a woman to marry prince Aravan (Koothandavar), whose last wish is to be married before he is sacrificed."
"The festival takes place at a temple dedicated to Koothandavar. As a symbol of this communion, the priests in the temple act as representatives of Aravan and tie the mangalsutra around the necks of the trans women. The next day is followed by the mourning of the death of Aravan, wherein the transwomen rip the mangalsutra off and break their bangles, and wail. When I witnessed this, I was overcome by a myriad of emotions,” he recalls.
During the journey, Shino recalls meeting a 14-year-old, who identified herself as chinna thirunangai, hoping to lead a life where she is accepted by society.
“She was being raised by two trans women, who wanted to provide her with a good education for a better future. ‘It is because we lack education, among other things, that people don’t respect us. We will raise her into a strong independent person. Maybe she can lend a hand to others from our ilk’, said one of the transwomen. Another akka, a former employee of a renowned star hotel in Chennai, who participated in the festival told me about how she was ostracised at her workplace. ‘I was treated differently and not respected,’ she said. It made me reflect on our internalised phobias and bias towards people who are different than the majority. It brought about a change in me,” he says.
In his book, Shino taps on a narrative style of writing and marries it with rivetting imageries and laces his words with emotions.
“The book is a documentation of what I witnessed at the festival — the harsh realities, emotions and ordeals faced by the trans community and how they are neglected in this society. My views have been realigned and I hope the book enables someone to realign theirs too. There is always a beginning to unlearn and learn. This conversation should become mainstream,” he emphasises.
Limited copies of the book have been printed by Binder photo-books from Delhi and Shino is currently looking for investors to support the printing of more copies.
“I have sent one copy to MACK photobook awards, London who are publishers of artistic photo-books and I am hoping to get selected,” he adds.
For details, visit Instagram page shino.anila.cherian