‘Transgender community deserves acceptance’

TV actor Ashish Sharma, who has played a transgender in a feature film, has urged society not to be discriminatory against the community. “Since childhood, we have been told to stay away from transgenders. Whenever we encounter trans people, we get afraid of them. Why? It’s all because of our upbringing. We all should realise that they are also human beings, they also deserve love, care and acceptance,” says the 34-yearold actor.

The movie is an adaptation of a short story called Sanjha and has been penned by him and his wife Archana Taide. After getting screened at Kashish International Mumbai Queer Film Festival, the film also opened Germany’s Homochrom Film Festival. Ashish says, “I worked for more than two years on this film and now the movie is doing so great. I feel blessed, and it feels great to see it getting appreciated.”

For Ashish, this film is a milestone project, he feels that he has improved not only as an actor but also as an individual.

The actor adds,“By portraying the role of a transgender, I realised how many hardships trans people have to face in life. Stepping into their shoes made me understand them. The film changed my perception and made me more humane and sensitive. Also, many films have been made on them, but what is needed now is to break the stigma attached to them and create awareness among people.”

Ashish Sharma’s movie is an adaptation of a short story, Sanjha