As the parliament saw the introduction of The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016, in monsoon session, it seems that India is finally accepting the ‘presence’ of the third gender. Bengaluru is all set to prove that art, music and love know no boundaries by hosting its first International Transgender Art Festival from July 29 to July 31.
The festival will see various artistes, including classical dancer (Bharatanatyam and Mohiniattam) Maalika Panikar from Singapore and Kuchipudi dancer Varsha Vardhana from Malaysia along with Indian artistes, will be showcasing their talent. The programme will be held at the National Gallery for Modern Arts.
Organizer Srivatsa Shandilya, a photojournalist by profession says, “The most interesting part of this show is to see the change in India and the Indian audience. Indian audience is accepting transgenders for the way they are and are looking beyond the concept of gender,” says organizer Srivatsa Shandilya, a photojournalist by profession.
The event will also see performances by Thiru Nangai Narthaki Nataraj, well known Bharatanatyam exponent along with Vasuki Welknow a vocalist from Trichy.
