Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju on trans representation in showbiz

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"Nothing about us, without us," says trans rights activist, social media star and budding actress, Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju. "Too often, trans people aren't involved in the process of their own storytelling, when sharing trans stories on screen should, first and foremost, be about normalising being trans and drawing empathy to trans lives."

Gummaraju, who will be appearing on season 2 of Prime's highly acclaimed series Made in Heaven, will soon be making history as one of the first trans women on a major OTT show. "My role is a tribute to the trans community, and my way of waving the trans flag high in the Indian entertainment space. It's also about creating more opportunities for trans people in showbiz, and I intend to champion this cause more strongly going forward." She emphasises the importance of representing authentic trans voices in Indian media, saying, "Trans people should have a place in storytelling. Not just as actors, but there should be space for them to be hired as script consultants, writers and directors."

Citing trans Orange is the New Black actress Laverne Cox, and Pose actress MJ Rodriguez as inspirations behind her work, she continues, "In the past, especially in India, cisgender men and women have played trans people, and the stories told have been unempathetic at best and cruel at worst." There have been many instances in Indian film and TV where trans women have been portrayed by cisgender men, with the most infamous contemporary example being Akshay Kumar's role as a trans woman in Laxmmi Bomb. "In an ideal world, anyone should be able to play anyone," she tells us. "If trans people had the same opportunities as cis people, there would be no problem. However, in the real world, there is a real dearth of opportunity for trans people in the entertainment world, that we need to account for. It's time trans people are given the opportunity to play trans characters, themselves."

Gummaraju also works in the medical field, and explains that she auditioned for Made in Heaven at the beginning of her internship at a hospital. Ultimately, she landed a role as a wedding planner in the highly anticipated second season of the show, which stars Sobhita Dhulipala and Arjun Mathur. "When the audition worked out, it was unreal," she tells mid-day. "At the time, I was a sleepless intern who had nothing to lose."

In the upcoming season, the 26-year old will be playing out a narrative that tackles the theme of transphobia. "It's a storyline that obviously hits very close to home," she tells us, "but that's what makes this real. I don't have to perform the ‘transness' of this character, because I am a trans woman. This is a show that, finally, takes attention away from the shock-value of including a trans character, and instead puts forth a story that displays simple human emotion." She adds, "Through this role, I want to show people that trans women are women, and deserve every right to be treated as such."