KOCHI: In a country where Ardhanariswara — depicting one half male form and the other half female — is much revered, the irony lies in the immense cruelty meted out towards the transgender community. Malayalam short film ‘Trishul’ directed by Amal Prasad cuts into the bitter truth prevailing in society.
The movie follows the painful journey of a transgender person, who takes many risks to undergo sex reassignment surgery.
The 28-minute long movie is also an eye-opener about the old barbaric ritual known as Thaayinmelkkai that was in practice in Tamil Nadu until a few years ago. Scriptwriter Sudheesh P Ganesh, who played the protagonist Shivani/Shiva, says the film offers a glimpse into the personal lives of transgender people. Sudheesh was inspired to write the story when he was caught up in a traffic block at Ernakulam two years ago. “I saw a photo of Ardhanarishvara on a notice board and next to it stood two trans people. The irony was, they were at the receiving end of foul comments from men near them. The film is all about the agony of Shiva who wants to transform into Shivani. It is the only affordable form of sex reassignment surgery for poor people. The risky procedure may even lead to death,” says Sudheesh.
The film features many atrocities the community face, including sexual abuse. The camera follows Shivani’s life. One which is filled with many cruelties and tragedies. Trishul never shies away from showing a mirror to society. Without embellishing the details, it rips open the cruel underbelly that exploits vulnerable people in a quest for momentary pleasure and power. “We had to cut many scenes while censoring the film before appearing in film festivals. It may be disturbing for some viewers. However, it is the reality. In the daytime, they are mistreated as stray dogs and at night they are approached for sex by the same people,” says Sudheesh.
To give justice to his character, Sudheesh approached the transgender community and travelled with them for two weeks. “I wanted to give completion to Shiva on his journey to become Shivani. I observed a group of transgender people and learned their mannerisms,” he says. “I received many mocking comments from my friends for going clean-shaven. I shudder to think what might be a trans person faces in real life for dressing the way they love. I realised how marginalised they are even when we celebrate pride days,” he adds.
While acting as Shivani, he received many taunts from people around him. “We had to shoot some scenes of Chamayavilakku at a temple in Kollam, a festival that is popular in the community. I was dressed like a woman. Suddenly, somebody from the crowd groped and molested me. It was a shock,” says Sudheesh.
The film is a tribute to the transgender community who also played many prominent roles in the film. “Due to poverty and negligence, these people are forced to become sex workers or beggars on streets. If the government and the society stop the abuse and discriminations against the transgender community, they can also lead a decent life as regular people,” he says.
The film is on Sudheesh’s Youtube channel Cinema Seeds