Representation of transgenders or hijras in popular culture in Pakistan: A critical study

Pakistani filmmaker Saim Sadiq’s internationally acclaimed movie “Joyland,” which explores the relationship between a married man and a transgender woman, was banned by the Pakistani authorities for “highly objectionable” and “disrespectful” content. The ban on this groundbreaking movie is a telling indictment of transgender desire in a Muslim country and raises question about critical representation of the “khawaja sira” community in Pakistani popular culture. The transgender community, also known as hijras or khawaja siras in Pakistan, often complain of legal, social, and sexual discrimination. A significant section of the Islamic country considers LGBTQA+ activities “immoral” and “un-Islamic.”

Since popular media plays a crucial role in determining social narratives and disseminating vital information, the study of popular cultural representations of various marginalized and minority groups of the society can be an insightful, important, and influential contribution to knowledge about contemporary Pakistani society. Media, especially popular media are the ideal sources for the study of representation of the transgender community, their rights and the social discrimination being faced by them in postcolonial societies. As khwaja siras are an inextricable element of Pakistani society, a critical study of their representation in Pakistani popular media and the challenge from the radical elements is imperative. This paper attempts to argue that the trans narratives and their depiction in Pakistani popular media has been consciously or unconsciously documenting the actual status of the khwaja sira community, indicating the psyche of the contemporary masses in Pakistan and focusing on a symbiotic relationship with the society.