Amid debate, trans actor asks if they should play 'transgender trees' in the back if trans roles aren't available

Trans actor Sushant Divgikar has shared a Reel on Instagram, giving a hilarious spin to the debate around trans representation in Indian films.

Trans actor Sushant Divgikar has criticised the casting of cisgender actors as transgender characters in Bollywood, amid a rising debate on the lack of representation of trans artists on the screen.

Sushant Divgikar has raised question about Bollywood not casting trans actor even in trans roles.

Sushant, who was crowned Mr Gay India 2014, posted a video on their Instagram account on Tuesday, in which they raised questions about what kind of characters would transgender artists be allowed to play if all their roles would be taken up by cisgender actors. At the end of the clip, Sushant sarcastically remarked that the only roles left for transgender artists at this point are playing the tree in the background.

In the clip, that has since gone viral, Sushant asked, "If a transgender person is not allowed to play a transgender character on screen, in a film, they are not allowed to play a man in a film, and transgender people are not allowed to play women in films, so what do transgender artists play- transgender trees in the back?"

The video received a lot of support from Sushant's Instagram followers. "On point," one person wrote, while another said, "Savage." Actor Nauheed Cyrusi commented, "F***ing love you," adding red heart and fire emojis.

Sushant's video comes amid rising debate around cisgender actor taking on trans characters' roles. Recently, cisgender man Vijay Raaz was seen playing trans woman Razia Bai in Gangubai Kathiawadi's trailer. Before that, Vaani Kapoor played a trans woman in Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui.

About the debate around Vijay's character, his co-star from the film Alia Bhatt told Deadline, “I have heard this conversation various times for different films. While I do understand where they’re coming from, I feel like it’s up to the director and their vision. It’s not there to offend anyone, maybe the director found it interesting to have an actor like Vijay Raaz, who identifies as male, play a trans character. The audience has never seen him that way, you see the actor and the ability to transform within that person. I think that’s a better perspective, but I do understand where people are coming from."

Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui director Abhishek Kapoor told Mid-Day about casting Vaani in the movie, "The mission was to not only make a film, but also deliver a message that reached far and wide; and to bring about change. With the purest (intention), it would have been ideal to cast a trans woman, but we also needed a seasoned performer to play the part. Vaani had the right amount of experience."

Sushant is known for being an outspoken advocate of the LGBTQIA community and had previously shared their own experience of auditioning for a commercial. In a conversation on The Ranveer Show on the Beer Biceps channel on YouTube, they had revealed that they were auditioning for a toothpaste ad when the casting director told them even before they entered the room, “You are too gay for this advertisement.”

The actor, who is also known by their drag name Rani Ko-HE-Nur, recalled, “I said, ‘But gay people also brush their teeth. What is too gay for a toothpaste?’” for their dates as they were very popular and all booked.