Hrithik used to dream of becoming an IAS officer. But the 27-year-old trans man was struggling to make both ends meet since he could not find a regular job.
Not anymore. Hrithik has now become the anchor of a weekly news show Azhchavattom on Malayalam channel Jeevan TV. Nobody is more surprised than Hrithik himself since he's never appeared on television prior to this and also does not have any experience in journalism.
The first episode of the show with Hrithik as the anchor was telecast on Sunday.
“I can’t describe how I felt when I was doing it for the first time, my happiness was beyond words. I can now regularly anchor the show. It was Thripthi who suggested my name for this. Then, since there was no communication from the channel's side for a few days, I thought I was not selected. But I got a call later. I had done well in the audition but still it’s unbelievable for me that I have got the job,” Hrithik tells TNM.
Hrithik is married to trans woman Thripthi and the duo lives in Kochi.
Thripthi is the first trans person who got the artisan certificate (given to those skilled in making handicraft products) from the Union government. She's also the first trans person entrepreneur in the state.
Previously, two trans women Aiysha Doodle and Sweety Fernadez had anchored the same show. However, Hrithik is the first trans man to anchor it.
In Kerala, the transgender community has become a lot more visible in recent years. Actor Surya, make-up artist Renju Renjimar, and journalist Heidi Saadiya are famous trans personalities from the state who have contributed towards changing the perception about the community. Kerala is also the first state to come out with a transgender policy which aims to give a provide a discrimination-free life for trans persons.
However, the battle is far from over.
“It’s true that in Kerala there has been a big change from the past. But for transgender persons, it’s still an ongoing fight, even to get jobs. For the sex reassignment surgery, I had worked to raise the money, but later I got it from the government. But among us, there are many who don’t get any work. It was at the age of 17 that I revealed my identity to my family. Of course, there was the initial hesitation and anger and it took time to convince them. I chose my way and overcame all this. But it’s not the case for all. Some of my friends have been taken to black magicians and others to doctors when they revealed their identity," he says.
Hrithik had undergone sex reassignment surgery in 2017. A BBA graduate, Hrithik worked as a freelance content writer but found it hard to manage with the income he earned.
“I've done several part-time jobs like that of a domestic worker to make money for my studies. But it’s even tougher for me to find a job now for I am out in the open as a trans person. Secondly, I have given a notification in the gazette to change my sex recently. It will take a while for it to be changed in my official documents,” he says.
He still has not forgotten his desire to become a civil servant, while acknowledging that there are several hurdles ahead.