Inclusion in Kerala textbook marks a sweet revenge for trans actor Negha

Kozhikode: The Kerala General Education Department’s decision to include the story of Tamil trans actor S Negha in the 8th-grade textbook is being seen as a powerful moment of recognition. Once expelled from her home and driven out of her native place because of her gender identity, Negha’s journey now finds a place in the school curriculum, a form of sweet revenge against the very society that once cast her out.

Negha, who won a Special Award in the Kerala State Film Awards for her performance in the 2022 Malayalam film 'Antharam', is featured with her photograph in the chapter titled Film Festivals in the 'Art Education' textbook. She is described as a “transgender who created an impression in the field of acting.” Negha played the lead role in 'Antharam', directed by Kerala-based photojournalist P. Abhijith. The film explores the dilemmas and inner conflicts of a trans woman who becomes a housewife.

Sharing her pride with followers on Instagram, Negha wrote: “My name and achievement are printed in Kerala’s 8th standard Art Education curriculum. The girl who discontinued her studies due to ridicule and taunts is now in the textbook.” She also expressed gratitude to the director of the film.

Negha, a native of Thiyanapuram in Tamil Nadu’s Thiruvarur district, now resides in Chennai after being ostracised by her village. “I went through a lot of bitter experiences. There’s a strict 'panchayat' system in my village. They drove me out 15 years ago. A meeting was called where I was questioned in front of everyone. They gave me two options—either continue there as a boy or leave the village. Now, Chennai is everything to me,” she told Onmanorama.

“Still, I don’t have any connection with my family, except with my mother. But she’s helpless—she can’t help me return home. I wasn’t even allowed to perform the last rites for my father. They only want a boy child,” she added. Negha is the youngest of five children, with four elder sisters.

After starting her career as a model and television anchor, Negha now writes and directs stage plays. 'Thiru Queer' and 'Sandakkaranga' are among the plays she has written and directed. Along with her partner Rizwan Bharati, she co-founded the initiative Queer Casting, which aims to empower the queer community through art.

Negha also appeared in the 2023 Tamil film 'The Road', directed by Arun Vaseegaran. More recently, she played a prominent role as a judge in the web series 'Good Wife', directed by actor-filmmaker Revathi.

However, she points out that finding steady work in the film industry remains difficult for members of the queer community. “Despite winning an award, people still approach me only for small roles. I’m struggling to pay my bills. We’re being included in films just as a gesture toward the community. I’m tired of this ‘tokenism’. We are not getting genuine support from society. But I do see big changes in Kerala. I hope Tamil Nadu will follow suit.”