A look at Hindi films that have explored the third gender thoroughly

Over the years the portrayal of the third gender in Hindi cinema has found itself under the scanner While there has been a steady display of male characters with effeminate traits mdash usually for comic effect mdash in Hindi movies certain films have however stayed true to reality Ravi Kissenrsquos androgynous act in the upcoming Bullet Raja and Mahesh Manjrekarrsquos similar role in Rajjo are merry additions to the listu00a0 Ravi Kissen in Bullet Raja and right Mahesh Manjrekar in Rajjo Herersquos taking a look at some of the memorable lsquoardhanarishwarrsquo roles from this particular streamhellip Paresh Rawal Film Tamanna 1997 Portrayal Apparently based on a reallife character in this Mahesh Bhatt film Rawal plays a critically acclaimed role of a eunuch who happens to be the child of a yesteryear Bollywood actress The story was based in the bylanes of Mahim Sadashiv Amrapurkar Film Sadak 1991 Portrayal Bagging several awards for his villainous act Amrapurkar played a notorious eunuch who doubles as a heinous pimp His sariclad brotherowner wonrsquot let a ldquobuyrdquo read Pooja Bhattrsquos character get out of her hand without a fight Ashotosh Rana Film Shabnam Mausi 2005 Portrayal Following the life of Indiarsquos first transgender to be MLA this film by Yogesh Bharadwaj saw Rana as a protagonist turning up in a feminine avatar after his act in Sangharsh Despite the novel topic the film failed to create a buzz Seema Biswas Film Queens Destiny of Dance 2011 Portrayal One of the finest actresses in the country Biswas plays a transgender named Mukta whom her peers look up to thanks to her dancing skills But with a younger hijra entering the group she is left seething with jealousy and disillusionment Veeru Krishnan Film Raja Hindustani 1996 Portrayal Of the 13 films that he appeared in almost all the characters he essayed had an inclination for music and were blatantly effeminate Interestingly his early films happened to star Aamir Khan and Kajraare 2010 was the last he starred in Atul Kulkarniu00a0 Film Natrang 2011 Portrayal In this Marathi film Kulkarni plays a farmerturnedactor who is somehow willing to don an androgynous character for a roaming tamasha mdash despite the obvious opposition and apprehensions from people all around himu00a0 The Others Nirmal Pandey Film Daayra 1996 Portrayal In this path breaking film directed by Amol Palekar Pandey plays a transvestite who comes in contact with a rape victim Helming a sensitive story he personifies human relationships that go beyond narrow identities So far he is the only actor to bag a National Award for Best Actress Hollywood touch As opposed to actors in Bollywood their leading contemporaries from the West appear to have experimented more with transgender roleshellip Robin Williamsrsquos character in Mrs Doubtfire 1993 effectively pretends to be a womanu00a0 Hilary Swank won herself an Oscar award for playing Brandon Teena in Boys Donrsquot Cry 1999u00a0 Felicity Huffman earned herself a nod from the Oscars for her role of a transvestite in the indie Transamerica 2005 u00a0Glenn Close portrays a woman pretending to be a man in the period drama Albert Nobbs 2011