Urban Legend: Quite a queer pitch! Bengalurean gives voice to transgenders

LGBT Pride Month is celebrated around the world, drawing millions of community members together. Bengaluru lives up to the tradition too, despite the countrywide clampdown on the marginalised LGBTQ community. It was during troubled times that Srivatsa Shandilya, a well-known photographer, quietly founded the International Trans Art Festival 2016, a platform for transgender art that became a roaring success. He talks to Aksheev Thakur about where it all began and what drives him in his journey towards inclusivity.

In July 2016, crowds gathered at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Bengaluru, for a three-day art and culture extravaganza. Why was this any different from the scores of festivals that take place in the city? This was the International Trans Art Festival 2016, a platform for a community that has, over the years, struggled to break free of its shackles. The festival was marked by an air of jubiliation: the Supreme Court had made it clear that that its 2014 ruling, which recognises a third gender, would not be modified.

Still, few contributions from the community find their way into mainstream life and perhaps this was what prompted Srivatsa Shandilya, photographer and a well-known name in Sandalwood to organise the fest. Standing firm in his conviction that art has no gender, Shandilya gave Karnataka’s Jogati their first platform in which to showcase their talent.

“I have been involved in theatre for a long time and it was then that the idea of giving transgenders a space first took shape in my mind,” Shandilya said. “In July 2016, we organised the country’s first Trans Fest, which was aimed at celebrating the third gender. The fest gave a historically deprived community the chance to celebrate themselves. The idea was also to create opportunities – perhaps parents could send their kids to them for training in the arts.”

Shandilya’s enthusiasm is clear: “They are no less talented than the rest of us. When they performed classical dances last year, the audience was spell-bound.” The success of the festival has him raring to go with new projects and initiatives, he describes, with great excitement, the support he received from across the world, too. “My urge to look for something new helped me come across artists from amongst the community. When I met them after the event, they talked about how people who had never spoken to them before were doing so now,” he says.

The people who take the deep interest in Art and Culture were captivated by the performances

The government has made an effort at integration too, which Shandilya acknowledges but admits is far from adequate. “First, getting funds from the government is not easy under any circumstances. There is no database of transgender artists either, although the list is available. Bifurcating the database will make it a lot easier for us to go forth with events like this,” he said.

Many of these transgenders, Shandilya explains, have studied dance on their own – and the audience found itself enamoured by their art. “I’m planning another event this September,” he said. “This time, however, the focus will be on theatre. After watching the performances, the audience wanted to be part of the fest too. The people who take the deep interest in Art and Culture were captivated by the performances. Even now, I get regular requests to carry on conducting events like these,” he said, happily.

Shandilya is also the first man to celebrate the centenary year of Indian Cinema and wants to put Bengaluru on the map for innovative art and culture events. “Bengaluru is widely known for its unusual initiatives. Last year, as word of the Trans Fest spread across the world, the city proved its mettle. My thirst to do new things and break boundaries is unquenchable and there will be many more in the future, too,” he smiled.

He does, however, believe that transgender community should also come forward and take the initiative towards being part of mainstream society, something they richly deserve. “Although the festival was aimed at bridging the gaps, the will to achieve something great should be mutual.”