Guwahati: An upcoming Assamese movie, titled Outcast, has stirred a controversy among the transgender community in the state. The film, including its title, the poster and the storyline, is a derogatory portrayal of the third gender, says the All Assam Transgender Association (AATA).
Swati Bidhan Baruah, the first transgender judge of Assam and founder of the AATA, said that the people involved with the film are wrongly appealing for donations in the name of helping the community.
“Transgender people are being employed in a variety of fields and they have got acceptance in society and hence cannot be termed as outcasts or untouchables,” Baruah said. She also added that they never asked for money and whatever they do are a joined effort of the members.
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“If transgender persons aren’t portrayed sensitively, it can have a lasting damage for the entire community,” Baruah said. The association also claimed that the film is created by an unregistered organisation and has demanded the project to be scrapped off.
Outcast is based around the condition of transgender people in the villages of Assam and is directed by Prakash Deka and produced by Mailin Dutta.
