Becoming Woman
All I knew was that this non-profit group called MARAA was organising some sort of performance on gender and sexuality. A friend told me about it and even offered to pick me up. Work lay unfinished on my table, but what the hell, I decided, I could always catch up later. And that’s how we found ourselves at Jagaa, which calls itself “a community space created to serve the arts, technology and social change communities in Bangalore.” We climbed up two flights of metal staircases to find a fairly large group of people, sitting, standing, leaning on the banisters – and listening attentively to the performers – a group of people variously called hijras, transvestites, transgenders or Aravanis (The Indian concept of third gender is somewhat different from Western conceptualizations – read here).
The rest, over at Ultraviolet… please read, for an account of an interesting and thought provoking performance.
Update: I forgot this link by Bombay Dosti, which I had meant to add - on the shaming of a sex worker in Bangalore, by a TV channel engaging in a so-called sting operation. Outrageous and ridiculous, besides showing up just how objective our media is.
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Am sure you read my comment @ Bombay Dosti.
Aside, have you watched this film called Navarasa by ace Cinematographer Santosh Sivan?
Apu, I always come across the most interesting pieces from your blog, which usually leads me to read a variety of sites on related subjects. I don’t even know such things happen in Bangalore!
Praveen - yes, I did see your comment. Navarasa seems like an interesting movie - hope it gets shown on TV.
Aathira - thanks! Actually, many such events don’t get too much publicity, I think.
I have my doubts if it will be shown on TV. If you visit Chennai, do try your luck with the DVD.
Here is the teaser.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTSJdwgzwL8