Actor Negha Shahin, the first trans woman to receive the Kerala State Film Award, has taken to Instagram to oppose the recently passed Transgender Bill. She also called out Tamil stars Raghava Lawrence, Vijay Sethupathi, and Kalidas Jayaram for gaining fame by playing transgender characters but not speaking up in support of the community.
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, was passed despite opposition from the transgender community, activists, and opposition parties. Negha posted a screenshot of the Lok Sabha session where the bill was passed, questioning the use of a medical board to determine gender.
Negha also called out the three Tamil stars for their silence on the issue, despite playing transgender characters in films like Super Deluxe, Paava Kadhaigal, and Kanchana. She expressed hope that they would be heroes in real life and support human rights.
Negha is an actor and activist who has gained fame for her roles in Malayalam and Tamil films. She is also the founder of the non-profit organisation Queer Casting.
