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Photo Essay: Challenging Gender Perceptions

Dreams are often denied for non-binary artists who aspire to be glamorous stars on the silver screen. But 12 community models hope to challenge this perception.

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Banu, Bernie, Chandini, Devi Parveenamma, Nadiya, Lakshmi, Revathy, Shanthi, Shakila, Shobha, Shobhana and Reshma are 12 transwomen, transmen, kothis and gender non-conforming persons whose dreams have often been denied due to the heterosexual norms of the binary, and even caste and class hierarchies for over 50 years. Some of them have two names. But most of them aspire to be glamorous stars on the silver screen. Yet, they are all too familiar with the cold whispers of society that believes that beauty fades and desire wanes with the passage of time. The 12 community models hope to challenge this perception. Truth Dream gave them a chance to step into their dream personas and perform femininity: whether it was a classical dancer or a goddess from Tamil and Kannada films of the 1960s.

The opening scene of the play shows the transpersons holding portraits of themselves—portraits that show who they have always aspired to be. Revathi embodies Andal from the 1968 Tamil film Thirumal Perumal. Andal is a reincarnation of Lakshmi and wins over Vishnu with her devotion. Saravana/Shakila embodies the look of the late actress Sridevi, posing in a blue sari, inspired by the song Kaate Nahi Kat Te from the film Mr India (1987). Shobhana’s look is inspired by mythology, specifically Ardhanaishvara, a male-female form of Shiva, with his consort, Parvati. Lakshmamma who was always in awe of images of the maharanis of Mysuru, dons a bejewelled golden sari and ornate jewellery.
As Saravana/Shakila dons the attire of a Bharatanatyam dancer, they share their life story—how their journey was shaped by the intricate intersections of caste and class. Bharatanatyam had captivated their soul, but Saravana/Shakila couldn’t fulfil their dream of being a professional Bharatanatyam dancer after learning it for six months owing to poverty.
Chandini, a social worker and artist, co-founded the not-for-profit organisation, Payana, in 2009. Truth Dream is her brainchild. Her own fantasy was to dress up like Kalidasa’s Shakuntala
Shanti/Shanthamma dresses up as a tribal woman in the green room along with other actors of the play. The people who are part of the show are friends who have known each other for decades. They have been together through tough as well as good times.

Truth Dream is the brainchild of Chandni, a social worker and artist who also co-founded the not-for-profit organisation, Payana. Since the first exhibition in 2021, the show has been seen at multiple venues across Karnataka. It narrates lived desires that break through the ideals of beauty and ageing, of fixed gender identities, and permitted dreams.

Photographs by Sudhir Damerla; Text by Anisha Reddy

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