Read the full article on Film Companion, here: https://www.filmcompanion.in/creating-a-conversation-baradwaj-rangan-around-trans-characters-in-cinema/
A look at how ‘Super Deluxe’ depicts a trans character as neither villain nor saint, but as simply flawed and all-too-human.
By now, I think it’s safe to say the “gay film” (i.e. films about two men in love or in a relationship) or the “lesbian film” (films about two women in love or in a relationship) are fairly well-established in the context of “mainstream” Indian cinema. First off, I wish emphasise that qualification. This is not to diminish the important work done by filmmakers like Sridhar Rangayan (over the years) and Sudhanshu Saria (more recently) and many, many others. It’s just an indication that this article is going to focus on films that are released in theatres (as opposed to, say, those that are screened at festivals), because that’s the truest sign that a trend or a thought or a lifestyle has percolated into the society at large.
Continued at the link above.
Copyright ©2019 Film Companion.
Baradwaj Rangan 
Anu Warrier
August 27, 2019
Interesting perspective, and I’d a few thoughts about the question you pose at the end. But before that, a niggling thought – and a genuine query.
You write: because that’s the truest sign that a trend or a thought or a lifestyle has percolated into the society at large.
Homosexuality is not any of these, no? And perhaps you did not mean it that way, it just struck me as odd that you would use these terms for gays and lesbians. I may have misinterpreted the line; hence the question.
Then, the reason trans activists are up in arms about Shilpa’s confession about abducting children who are then maimed and sent to beg has its roots in the fact that that is the common narrative about trans people – that they abduct/maim children. This particular scene just underlined that stereotype. The outrage is more because this is the one time they saw a representation of a transperson on screen in – as you point out – humanised way. To then see that that human is reinforcing a negative stereotype about the community must have seemed like a double betrayal.
Coming to your question, I think one (the gratitude for being seen as ‘normal’) is lived reality for many transpeople. The latter (flawed human – gender/sexuality no bar) is aspirational for many of them. Depending on the portrayal, there’s place for both – not because I want transpeople to feel gratitude for a baseline acceptance, but because – perhaps – that portrayal will allow more people to see them as human, with feelings and emotions. At the very least, a sensitive portrayal of their existence can only help further their cause and their acceptance into mainstream society.
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Ramit
August 27, 2019
@Anu, I think BR sir is talking about acceptance of queerness having become normal enough for people not to bat an eyelid if a movie on the subject gets a wide release. I don’t think he is saying homosexuality is a trend or a thought or a lifestyle.
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Balu
August 27, 2019
The question, then, boils down to whether you want uncontroversial trans characters grateful for being treated as “normal” human beings, or controversial ones who don’t have to be singled out as “normal human beings”.
Probably the one where you get more screen time or significance in the story line? The character in Dharmadurai was just a token representation with 2-3 scenes and I don’t see how it moved the needle in anyway. Where-as Super Deluxe had a lead character and the biggest star in that movie act as as transgender – really pushing boundaries here. While I admit that movies unfortunately do seem to influence a large portion of society, as of 2019 “grey” lead character is considered quite cool by the movie watchers. When was the last time we had a Vikraman’s “Do-gooder” in all situations hero anyways?
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meera
August 29, 2019
Super deluxe had so many nuances that it was an overwhelming first watch. I’m giving myself three months before I soak it up again. This movie had so many moments/dialogues/shots that were so poignant that I was awed with TKs ambition. I still can’t believe a Tamil movie is mounted on this scale …
coming to the transgender topic, I thought the first few scenes of Shilpa were laid out so well that it breaks free of all the stereotypes that transgenders are stifled with. But the late reveal left me gaping because by then my brain had saturated and couldn’t handle it anymore.. 😂
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krishikari
August 29, 2019
I thought the myth about transgender people was that they kidnap boys and castrate them. That is horrific and the equally horrific sin Shilpa commits in Superdelux is just reinforcing that myth, so of course there would be a protest. I wonder why the writer/director made that particular choice rather than something like a burglary where someone accidentally got killed, an otherwise amazingly rendered characterisation.
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Anu Warrier
August 29, 2019
Ramit, I read it again, and I’m still getting that these movies coming to mainstream theatres is the truest sign that a trend or a thought or a lifestyle has percolated into the society at large. LGBTQ is not a lifestyle or a trend or a thought. Just wanted to clarify what he meant because that bothers me.
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Ramit
August 29, 2019
Yes, Anu, that trend or thought or lifestyle is the acceptance of LGBT, and not LGBT itself. At least that’s what I think BR sir is saying.
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brangan
August 30, 2019
Anu, what Ramit says. But yes, I think I could have worded that line better.
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Anu Warrier
August 30, 2019
Thanks, BR (and Ramit).
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sorenkierky
September 2, 2019
I wasn’t bothered by the Shilpa characterization at all, and that’s mostly because of the layered, nuanced and three dimensional characterization of the oppression faced by transwomen, and that kinda insulates the film from falling into the trap of adding to the existing stereotypes re: transfolk and just makes one see this as something Shilpa did as an individual, as opposed to a community as a collective (IMO anyway). Although not exactly analogous, this is also the reason why the film doesn’t judge Vembu or adds to any stereotype, despite her cheating (fairly unrepentently too at that) on Mugil and so on.
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