By Anil Merani: Colors TV, which is reeling under TRP loss, is taking a massive risk with the concept of transgender and gender identity in its new show Krishna Mohini, starring Debattama Saha and Fahmaan Khan.
Krishna( Debattama) ‘s brother Mohan is one such gender-confused/trans individual. The story is about how woke Krishna and Aryaman( Fahmaan) help Mohan.
For a long time, Indian society has ignored the plight of trans people or those who seem lost in their birth sex. Such individuals have a horrible life and, many times, are forced into marriage, thereby destroying even more lives.
Popular culture has also ignored this hidden demographic, for it forces us to answer very uncomfortable questions regarding the middle path between the male and female genders.
Shakti– Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki, starring Vivian Dsena and Rubina Dilaik, touched on eunuchs.
Sexuality is much deeper than just getting between the sheets. It controls how you live; society has clear-cut gender rules. If any individual breaks this norm, they are ostracized. Social rebuke prevents many people of all genders from seeking medical intervention. Trans people are born like us and can’t do anything about
I wonder how a GEC, which usually fights shy of any mention of sexuality, will deal with this tricky concept. I fear it will try to broadly touch the subject without dealing with its complex sub-layers, which can open Pandora’s box to off-limit questions.
By doing so, you risk reinforcing traditional stereotypes, further mudding the water. Even a broad touch might antognize traditional viewers who dont want to be awoken from their self-restricted slumber.
On the positive side, I hope the youth audience warms up to this box concept, allowing the makers to enter uncharted waters.
Gender confusion also dovetails to same-sex relationships. Can such an equation be shown on Desi TV?
To make matters worse, the setting is Dwarka, and we are in the middle of a no-holds-barred election. This concept could raise tensions.
Fahaam and Debattama have their tasks cut out. They may be inundated with hate mail by traditionalists.
