This year marks the 100th year of Tamil cinema and it has brought in a wave of positive transformation and transition in the types of movies being made with 'En Magan Magizhvan (My Son is Gay),' winning the Best Film Award. The Tamil film is the first Indian feature film on homosexuality to be awarded the U/A certificate and it has now won the best feature film award at the second Indian World Film Festival this year.
Lokesh Rajavel, director and producer of this movie feels this award will give a new direction to Indian cinema and it could be a game-changer for the Indian LGBTQ community which is under-represented in movies.
To celebrate the new wave of transformation, here are a few other Tamil films that represent LGBTQIA+
Aruvi
Part of many a best-of-2017 list, this film used the transgender person Emily as the titular character's travel companion as she traverses with her throughout the story and is with her during the best of her times and worst of her times.
Taramani
The protagonist's husband, Jacob, is shown to be gay and is not judged for his orientation anywhere in the film. The character, in fact, is a victim of the society he inhabits.
Dharmadurai
Part of the upswing that constitutes the third act of Vijay Sethupathi's Dharmadurai, Jeeva, is employed by Dharmadurai in his clinic after he sees the transgender person ask for money in the road. There is no pity. Just a realistic portrayal of what a person of privilege can do to those who are under-represented in the society.
Un Samayal Araiyil
What makes this film unique is that even though the character is part of the background, this cross-dressing character is not shamed/abused in the name of humour that is a mark of usual films.
Kaanchana
Hailed for its sensitive portrayal and bringing a lot of ground reality and awareness to the transgender community in a completely commercial horror film setting, Kaanchana propelled Raghava Lawrence and in turn the industry into a sequel hungry one.
Super Deluxe
Undoubtedly one of the stars of Tamil cinema, Vijay Sethupathi is playing the role of a transgender person Shilpa in the upcoming film by Thiagarajan Kumararaja which is expected to hit the theatres soon.
My Son is Gay (En Magan Magizhvan)
The Tamil film is the first Indian feature film on homosexuality to be awarded the U/A certificate and it won the best feature film award at the second Indian World Film Festival 2018. The film is about a young man coming out to his mother about his sexual orientation will release in the theatres soon
P.S :
Nagarkirtan
While not exactly a Tamil film, this film is important in that the lead character portrayed by Riddhi Sen who is a transgender who falls in love with a flute player.
