Trinetra Halder Opens Up About Her Journey: From Self-Discovery to Surgical Transformation
Trinetra Halder appeared on the latest episode of Uncancellable with Uorfi Javed. Talking about her journey to self-discovery, she shared. “I was 18 years old I didn’t know shit, I didn’t know anything about anything. I just knew that I was uncomfortable in my skin, I didn’t know why”. It wasn’t until her third year of MBBS that she began to comprehend the complexities of gender identity, “It took me a long time to figure out that there is a gender situation involved here, I think 3rd year was when I was like okay, I get it, I know what I need to do and between 3rd and 4th year is when I had the surgery”.
Inside Uncancellable with Uorfi Javed, Trinetra Haldar Sheds Light on Gender Dysphoria and Body Comfort
In a conversation with Uorfi, Treinetra educates about how difficult it is “Every person whether trans or otherwise has a certain level of comfort with their bodies, so the discomfort that a trans person has with their body because of their gender identity is called gender dysphoria”. Trinetra emphasizes that obtaining a diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a psychiatrist is crucial before addressing it through interventions. ”And once you’ve got that diagnosis you can go about doing things to address it. And that depends on how much like discomfort you have with your body.” “There are people who are born very naturally feminine looking and they are just lucky and they perhaps won’t have itna discomfort, but there are people who are in their 30s and 40s who didn’t have the knowledge, so you fully lived your life as a man for so long and your body has also been through that. So they may perhaps look more masculine and need more intervention if they feel that discomfort”. She mentioned that the experience of gender dysphoria is subjective, highlighting the importance of personalized approaches to addressing it.
Navigating Love and Vulnerability: Trinetra’s Insights on Dating in the Digital Age
In a candid conversation on Uncancellable with Uorfi Javed, talking about her dating life, Trinetra revealed, “I am single”, further admitting, “There was a time when I would use the dating apps obsessively, because to be seen as a woman and to get that desire”. However, her perspective has evolved significantly since then. “But now it’s like I bring so much to the table if someone can’t – and I’m not talking about money or any of that – it’s just the care that I bring needs to be matched, at least matched if not once step further”. Talking about some experiences, she added, “I am so out of your league, like you’d be lucky to have a woman who look like me and have my qualification chose you”.
She also spoke about the vulnerability that comes with dating, “I’m that person who would go out of their way to make someone feel appreciated and special, but if it’s not even acknowledged, then that starts to become hurtful. And I feel like in this culture of dating apps where everybody and everything is kinda replaceable, there’s always someone better or someone who can offer more, and people kinda lost the ability to work on something” “I think the certain fundamentals if they are taken care of – the love, the respect, all of that, everything else can be worked on. Now it’s become more complicated because I’m visible to more people.”
The Influence of Bollywood: Redefining Representation and Inclusive Storytelling in Entertainment
In the latest episode of Uncancellable with Uorfi Javed, Uorfi commended Trinetra, acknowledging the groundbreaking path she is forging, “You have made that name for yourself. You are successful, you are doing so well for yourself, and you are actually paving the way for other people. You are an inspiration. You didn’t have someone like ‘you’ while growing up.” Trinetra humbly downplayed saying, “It’s just the one show I have done. As an actor, I have done one show.”
Uorfi said, “These character in the movie like Bobby Darling and others were always made fun of… those characters were included solelywith the purpose of making fun of them”. Trinetra then delved into the broader impact of entertainment on societal perceptions, “Entertainment has a huge role to play in how we view masculinity, femininity, beauty, and womanhood, and of course, it matters. People don’t realize in a country as large as India where Bollywood is the one respite for so much of the population to escape their lives. Ofcourse people emulate the heroes, it’s a big thing”.
Uorfi advocated the sentiment, “Why don’t they give a transgender person a normal role as well? I would like to see you in a normal role rather than being portrayed as trans”. Trinetra shared her desire to play a detective or a cop, “I want to play a role where gender is not even discussed. And over time I will also build the skills and the confidence to say I want it.”
Also Read: Decoding Tanvi Geetha Ravishankar’s Take on the Body Positivity Movement
Uorfi and Trinetra Discuss Gender, Sexuality and Dating on Uncancellable with Uorfi Javed
Uorfi delved into the intricacies of navigating dating lives for non-binary, gay, and bisexual individuals. They discussed how gender and sexuality are distinct concepts- diverse ways in which individuals express their identities and attractions. When Trinetra questioned Uorfi – what’s your sexual orientation, Uorfi candidly expressed, “Yet discovering”.
“I could be trans and still be attracted to women, and I am”, Trinetra elaborated on the possibility of being transgender while still being attracted to women, a sentiment that Uorfi echoed, humorously adding, “every woman does.”
Trinetra added, “I used to have a girlfriend in high-school. For the most part I’m attracted to me, but there is a part of me that like women also. Sexuality and gender are not like one thing determines the other.” They even discussed the confusion that non-binary identities may pose for some people, highlighting the Hijra community as an example. “They just don’t call themselves non-binary. They call themselves Kinnar or Hijra. We as a culture have had that in our system for so long. Ardhanareeshwara (the Hindu concept of half-man, half-woman) is non-binary.
Challenging Privilege and Understanding Resentment within the Community: Trinetra’s Story
While discussing gender clarity on Uncancellable with Uorfi Javed, Trinetra disclosed instances of encountering resentment from some individuals within the community“Something that I have struggled with personally is when I go to meet people from the Trans Community. Sometimes I get a little, not hate but… – I mean no community is perfect – if you meet someone who has not been accepted by their family and who has had to sell their bodies for sex work their whole life, and then they see someone who is educated and comfortable”, when they come to know where I live, their instant response is ‘fuck you’. “And it’s valid because I know where it’s coming from. So for me, that’s been very humbling in the sense that I want huge things also.”
Reflecting on her own privileges, she said, “For me, I know my experience can’t be extrapolated to the rest of the trans population directly because I have a lot of privilege, I have the gift of education, the fact that my parents didn’t throw me out, and now there is of course acting and bunch of other things happening, which I know that 99% of the population, unfortunately, cannot accept. Even the bare minimum is a lot for the community because that is how far behind we are as a society.” Noting that while attitudes may be shifting in urban areas, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities still grapple with deep-seated stigma and shame surrounding transgender identities. “And that is the reason that so much of the community exists outside our traditional family setup. That’s the issue – it’s fundamentally a gender binary thing, a patriarchy thing”.
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