Mumbai |Ours was a society that ignored and mistreated the transgender community. In 2014, when the Supreme Court recognized the transgender community as the 'third gender', they began to gain acceptance in society as well. There are many members of the transgender community in the world today who have left their signatures in various fields by fighting against discrimination. One such face is Pranith Hate, the Marathi actress now known as Ganga. Ganga is happy that the life she dreamed of since her childhood has become possible. She says that by concealing her identity and lives as a female in a male body was a life and death struggle.
Ganga's words are filled with the fun and satisfaction of the desired life becoming a reality.
Ganga celebrates femininity. For Ganga, it is freedom achieved by breaking the shackles. Being famous as a celebrity or an actress, she had to overcome many unforgettable experiences. Ganga tells her life story, to Metro News...
A lost childhood
During school days, I were desirous, like any other girls, to tie my hair, dress up, put on bangles and to wear bindi. But my family was totally against it. For anything and everything they used to scold me. Blame was upon me. I used to cry most of the days. At school, the other students will make fun of and belittle me a lot. The boys who were classmates did not give me freedom even to go to the toilet. “I was harassed sexually by many students at that time”. She told the painful memories in one breath...
Again there were misfortunes in life. It was from a close relative. ‘An uncle' who used to come home would sexually molest me while I was in class four or so. I didn't know it then, but when I grew up I realized everything. I lost my entire childhood.
This was Ganga's answer to the question of whether there is something lost even when everything is gained in life. The whole childhood was full of taunts and torture. But during my college days, there were no such problems, somehow everyone understood me, says Ganga.
Time for recognition
Slowly, the family started accepting Ganga. Ganga became a transgender in 2015. He also acted in a Hindi short film that year. It became the turning point. The short film received very good response and even acted in some Marathi serials.
Ganga says that she was able to enter the world of cinema when she got an opportunity to host a program called Yuva Dancing Queens on the Marathi channel Zee Yuva.
Ganga is currently thrilled to have bagged a great role in Akshat Sharma's upcoming Hindi film Hudi, which is slated to release in March. It is considered great fortune to act with Ila Arun, Anurag Kashyap and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in this film. Learned and absorbed a lot from all of them.
Society should understand transgender
One complaint about transgenders is that they don't use good language. But everyone uses slang to interact with them. That's why they react like that. Many see transgender people as mere sex workers. It is cruelty. Society should embrace them. Even if you don't stay with them, don't keep them apart, everyone should understand their mindset too, says Ganga.
Ganga lives with her mother in Mumbai. I want my mother to reign like a queen. Mother is everything for me. My father died seven years ago. Later, mother took care of everything. My mother protected me even when I was going through many financial difficulties in life. I want to give my mother a good life in the future. I was born as my mother's son. So I have to do many things as a son, even though I have become a woman now...' says Ganga.
Still to the heights
Ganga's biggest dream is to act in films as a heroine. Since childhood, only dance and acting were in my mind. Therefore, I consider it a great fortune to be able to reach this field. Ganga's first full-length Hindi film Hudi will release in March.
Ganga is also shooting for 3 Hindi films. In Hudi Ganga acts the pivotal role of a transgender doctor. The proper life of transgender is shown in the frame. This story is completely different from all the films that have told the transgender story so far. The audience will understand that when they watch the film, asserts Ganga. There are opportunities in Hindi. But Ganga says that she is very interested in acting in South Indian films as well. I also want to see Kerala and learned that transgender are well accepted in Kerala. But there is no connection with Kerala, added Ganga.
Ganga says the transgender community needs reservation in government jobs. The government should introduce reservation for those belonging to her community to rise up.
As the transgender community reaches the police force and railways, the society's perspective will change. They also stated that the government should devise schemes to raise the standard of living of the transgender community.
‘They laugh at me because I am DIFFERENT and I laugh at them because they all are SAME’
The above was Ganga's words while parting after the meeting of one and a half an hour. Many mock, deride and trample the transgender community.
