Navarasa The Movie
Last week I managed to watch another controversial Movie - Navarasa. Movie may not be the right word but it is sounds more like a documentary. It was directed by Santhosh Sivan, I feel both Santhosh and Sanjay Leela Bhansali has same taste in directing a movie. One can never forget his "Black" which won few awards recently.
The story revolves third gender that manipulating in the world today. Part of the movie was shot at Villipuram during koovagam festivals. Shewatha a 13 years old girl attains adulthood and discovers her Uncle Gautham transform into women at night. Gautham changes to Gauthami and dresses himself with flowers, ornaments, and bindhi’s, it is like a women trapped in man’s body. Gautham’s ultimate decision is to marry Aravan during Koovagam festivals. This is unknown to Shweta’s father (Gautham’s brother) and he leaves to Coimbatore for a relative’s wedding, leaving Shwetha with Gautham believing she is in good hands of her uncle’s care. Before shwetha realise; Gautham(i) has left the house heading towards Villipuram. Shwetha’s next journey begins.. that is to hunt her uncle down to Villipuram with her intention is to bring Gautham back home before (s)he marries Aravan. During her journey she will meet Bobby Darling, I somehow loved her character, she is very jovial, makes fun and dances crazily. If you have remembered Taal, Bobby Darling was Aishu’s make-up artist. She belong’s to third gender and reveals the actual life history of herself in this movie. Her acting and her english mix hindi was really good. There is no make-over, all the Aravani’s in this movie are Real -Ones !!! Some of them daringly share their life story, challenges they faced, the taunting from publics, vulgar name calling and their pivotal experiences. Koovagam is a festival of where Lord Krishna transform’s himself into Mohini (female) and marries Arjuna’s son Aravan before he is killed . This depicts the ancient story trace back 5000 years ago in Mahabharatha.
Along the way Shwetha witnesses the whole lot of new culture in the Third gender’s world. Will she succeed to bring back her uncle Gautham before her parent’s return ?? Will her parent discover the trueself of Gautham, Will they accept him ? How will Bobby Darling help Shwetha ?? Watch this movie till the end for Climax.
When I was young, I have seen Third Gender and used to stare at them or wonder why they need to transform themselves, but as I grow, our thinking widen’s and we tend to understand them and their feelings. I have friends whom transform themselves at nights. I respect them for what they are and never intrude in their personal life. Soon I came to understand that they are also like one of us, they have feeling too, they feel hurt too when people call them by name. If you loopback, they never harmed anyone, So far I have never read anything bad about them. Some of them are very famous today but hiding in their cloth. A good example is Bobby Darling herself, she had toured the whole Europe and slept at Platforms when she was young. I know a lady in Singapore ( I watch a interview from vasantham Central) whom transformed completely into women, undergone operation and married to a Irish Man. According to her they are leading happy life so does many of them.
You may start to think why my statements sounds very supportive towards this matter, well it is not only me but the whole world today have started accepting them, although some say it is against religions & Culture. But as a parent’s , I could understand how heartbreaking news it could be for them, things are easier said than done, Indigestible truth and it ends up with unjustified arguments and comitting ourselves to un-argumentive jurisdiction.
The movie overall is an awareness to our community . Bravo to Santhosh Sivan ; Double Thumbs -up ! 
I was murmuring prayer’s. It is a very wonderful moment to think of GOD as the new Journey begins.. 
