: Directed by Mahesh Bhatt, this was one of the first mainstream films to offer a positive light. Paresh Rawal played Tikku, a trans woman who rescues and raises an abandoned female infant.
: Movies like Masti (2004) and Kyaa Kool Hain Hum (2005) featured trans characters in short, stereotypical scenes meant to elicit laughter through "betrayal" tropes or mockery. Landmark Empathetic Films
Historically, Indian cinema—particularly Bollywood—viewed transgender characters (often referred to as Hijras or the third gender) through two primary lenses: the "laughing stock" or the "terrifying villain".
: Iconic but problematic roles include Sadashiv Amrapurkar as the ruthless pimp Maharani in Sadak (1991) and Ashutosh Rana’s terrifying portrayal of Lajja Shankar Pandey in Sangharsh (1999). These films often used transness to amplify the "danger" of a character.
A new wave of Indian cinema is now prioritizing dignity, rights, and occasionally, trans actors themselves. IJRARhttps://www.ijrar.org
: Set in the 1940s, this film tells the story of an actress who discovers her son is a eunuch, exploring the emotional toll of societal rejection.
The mid-90s marked a shift toward more humanized portrayals, even if the roles were still largely played by cisgender actors.
: An early exploration of gender fluidity, focusing on the relationship between a transsexual character and a girl who takes on a male identity for survival. Modern Milestones and Authentic Voices
Indian cinema has a long, complicated history with the representation of transgender individuals, often moving between extremes of harmful caricature and profound, empathetic storytelling. While older films frequently relied on stereotypes, recent years have seen a surge in authentic narratives that challenge societal norms. The Evolution of Transgender Portrayal
