Akshay Kumar and Kiara Advani‘s latest film, Laxmii, has been through its fair share of controversies ever since they have announced it. From creative differences among the team to title changes, it has been much scrutinised on the internet. The film released today on Disney+ Hotstar.
One other reason the film has been making a lot of buzz is because it is the first time that we will be seeing a superstar like Akshay essaying the role of a transgender woman. While the film has faced backlash with regards to the portrayal of the transgender community in India and for reinforcing stereotypes, transgender rights activist, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, says that she was, in turn, touched by the film.
A number of transgender persons were invited to a special screening of the film in Delhi, and after watching it, Laxmi spoke to Hindustan Times in an interview. She said that she was ‘upset’ that people on the internet are set to spread negativity even before watching the film, and requested everyone to first watch the film before forming opinions.
She adds:
Any transgender is equal to any man or woman, which comes out from the film in a very strong way. I believe it is wonderful, and instead of criticism, we should appreciate Akshay ji for being such a strong man and doing such a strong film
She says that the people in her community, even upto the age of 60, like this person called Kamal Guru, had watched the film and felt extremely emotional. The publication also quotes Kamal, who adds that she really liked the film and that she prays it gets all the love and appreciation.
Laxmii is a remake of the Tamil film, Kanchana, and is being directed by Raghava Lawrence, who starred in the Tamil version of the film.