LOVE AND AFFECTION BEYOND THE BINARY: AN ANALYSIS OF SELECTED CONTEMPORARY TRANSGENDER FILMS

Abstract

Judith Butler in the essay Performative Acts and Gender Constitution, observes " Gender is an identity through repeated bodily acts. Therefore, gender is performative, not a fixed identity" Butler (2002). This understanding of gender as performative challenges the traditional view that gender is determined by biology and opens up possibilities for individuals to express their gender in ways that are not necessarily tied to their sex assigned at birth. Among these gender identities, India has always stereotyped minority groups, including queer communities. Transgender people find their gender identity different from the sex determined at birth. The patriarchal systems of society are to blame for the struggle and humiliation, regardless of whether it is social, personal, or financial. Media can represent a limited array of images and ideas that could form unique versions which might differ from reality. In order to reflect the variety of people in a changing society, queer people have indeed been presented differently in popular culture. Movies can influence minds to a large extent, so representations and portrayals become crucial. Many films have failed to portray real trans lives, often drawing them as sexual objects, social outcastes, and minorities. This paper focuses on the portrayal of love and affection in Indian trans movies and how they have elevated with time.