Thursday, February 28, 2008

Rose Venkatesan, India’s First Trans TV Host

Today will see the start of a new chat show on Indian television, ‘Ippadikku Rose’ (Yours, Rose). Nothing extraordinary in this event apart from the fact the host of the show, Rose Venkatesan, is making history by thus becoming the first trans TV host in the subcontinent.

The show will appear on Vijay television (owned by Rupert Murdoch) in the southern state of Tamil Nadu to a potential audience of up to 64 million people and is aiming to challenge social perceptions on a range of "difficult" subjects.

View a clip below:


Neighbouring country, Pakistan already has its own gender-bending TV talk show host in the shape of drag queen Begum Nawazish Ali who recently announced plans to run for parliament.

Found out more:
* Tackling a Society’s Boundaries, on TV and in a Family - New York Times
* A Transgender TV Debut - Washington Post
* Begum Nawazish Ali Running For Parliament - Sepiamutiny
* In Pakistan, the Biggest Star is In Drag - MSNBC

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