As Sushmita Sen gears up to play a transgender, THESE actors pulled off the role of a ‘Kinnar’ on screen

Here is a list of actors who played the character of a transgender on the silver screen.

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

October 9, 2022 - 3:08 PM IST

Recently, Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen took to her social media handle and announced her upcoming project, Taali. For the unversed, the series will showcase the life of transgender rights activist Gauri Sawant. Talking about the 80s and 90s Bollywood, transgender characters were used to add some giggles to the script.

As Sushmita Sen gears up to play a transgender, THESE actors pulled off the role of a ‘Kinnar’ on screen

In a handful of films, legendary actor Johnny Lever has stepped into the shoes of a transgender character, but the most he could offer from it was stereotypical jokes about the community. However, with the changing dynamics, the writers and Bollywood actors have not shied away from exploring the different shades of this character.

Not much to our surprise, Sushmita Sen is not the first Bollywood star who has decided to portray a transgender on the screen. The most recent that you can remember could be Akshay Kumar in Laxmii. However, there are a bunch of actors who have dared the same way before established actors thought of taking the risk. With that being said, here is a list of Bollywood actors who played the character of a transgender on the silver screen.

Ashutosh Rana

You can’t forget him from the Akshay Kumar starrer Sangharsh. Though his portrayal of a transgender gave sent chills down the audience’ spines, it is indeed one of his remarkable performances of him. Six years after the release, he once again played a Kinnar for Shabnam Mausi.

For the unversed, it was a biopic based on Shabnam Mausi Bano. Shabnam was the first transgender Indian to be elected as MLA to the Madhya Pradesh state legislative assembly from 1998 to 2003.

Paresh Rawal

In his almost four-decade-long career, Paresh Rawal has delivered numerous memorable projects. And, his performance in Tamanna is worth a mention. The Mahesh Bhatt directorial was a great attempt to establish that a Kinnar can be a normal person too. If you have a list of favourites of Paresh Rawal, and you haven’t watched it, it is highly recommended.

Mahesh Manjrekar

Be it Bollywood or Marathi cinema, acting or directing, Mahesh Majrekar is a powerhouse of talent. The veteran actor played a eunuch in Kangana Ranaut starrer Rajjo. Though the film tanked at the box office, Manjrekar gave the best he could for the 2013 release.

Ravi Jhankal

Welcome to Sajjanpur, a comedy-drama film starring Shreyas Talpade. The ensemble star cast of the film also featured Ravi Jhankal, who played a eunuch running for the elections for the village Sarpanch. Ravi played Munnibai and subtly managed to grab the attention of the audience.

Nirmal Pandey

How can we forget to include a name that not only gave an impeccable performance as a Kinnar but also set a benchmark with it? Interestingly, Nirmal Pandey became the only actor to bag the Best Actress award at Festival de Valenciennes held in France after playing a transvestite character in Amol Palekar’s controversial film Daayraa. Though it struggled to get a release in Indian theatres, it bagged the National Film Award – Special Jury Award.

Also Read: Sushmita Sen unveils first look of her web series Taali; set to play transgender activist Gauri Sawant