Screening of ‘Transindia – The Story of India’s Hijra’s’ followed by a Q&A with Director Meera Darji

BCMCR invites you to the screening of ‘Transindia – The Story of India’s Hijra’s’ followed by a Q&A with Director Meera Darji

Date: 12 March 2025 | Time: 16:00PM – 18:00PM UK TIME

Place: Parkside Building, P350

Tickets Available: In-Person

Event Bio:

Meera Darji is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, Lecturer at Birmingham City University and Practice based Researcher. Her film ‘Transindia: The story of India’s Hijras’ will be screening at Birmingham City University on Wednesday 12th March 4-6pm in Parkside 350 followed by a Q&A with the Director.

Refreshments will be served from 3.30pm onwards.

Transindia is a 30-minute documentary that explores the transgender community also known as Hijras in Gujarat, India. Many years ago, in India, Mughal Empire accepted Hijras in society; they earned a good sense of respect and were found in ancient Hindu scriptures. However, when the British colonised India in the 18th Century, the British Raj introduced a new law which criminalised all Hijras making it challenging for them to truly express themselves. Since then, negligence in society still remains and they have gradually become ostracised and are disenfranchised by society. Transindia takes you on a journey on their true lifestyles, a discovery of their beliefs and cultures, and an insight in how they struggle to find a place in the Indian society.

Meera’s documentary has been awarded at international film festivals where Transindia won the Royal Television Society Award for best factual in the Midlands, best short documentary at the Kashish Mumbai LGBT Festival in India and she was also nominated for the Sky Atlantic Grierson Award.