10/07/2025
I always felt like I was merely surviving, not truly living, because my parents didn’t accept me, I couldn’t complete my education, and I had to run away just to stay alive.” — Negha S told Feminism in India.
Born in a small village near Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, so remote that even buses rarely came, Negha faced rejection and abuse early on from her family for simply being trans. Disowned and denied education, she left home at 18.
In Chennai, she worked in a BPO, then as a counsellor for trans women. Through theatre, Tamil short films, anchoring, and online content, she steadily built her presence and visibility.
Her breakthrough came in 2022 with the lead role of Anjali in Antharam, a Malayalam film by P Abhijith. Her powerful performance made her the first person to win the Kerala State Film Award in the transgender category.
Today, her story is part of Kerala’s Class 8 Arts textbook, making her the first trans woman featured in a Kerala school book.
“When I saw the textbook, I was really moved,” she told TNIE. “Years ago, I went through so much without anyone even knowing my name. Now, students will read and learn about it.”
This is not just a textbook mention. It is visibility. It is healing. It is change.