TRIGGER WARNING. Streaming platform MX Player's upcoming web series Pati Patni Aur Panga is drawing heavy criticism online for allegedly promoting transphobia and an insensitive portrayal of the trans community. Starring Adah Sharma and Naveen Kasturia in the lead, the trailer was released over the weekend on December 5, with the comedy-drama slated to stream online from December 11. Directed by Abir Sengupta, with producers Jay Sahni and Anushree Mehta, the series also stars actors Hiten Tejwani, Gurpreet Saini, and Alka Amin.
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The trailer is facing heat on social media, as users accuse it of being "extremely transphobic" and "offensive." While many have brought notice to Sharma, a cisgender woman, having been chosen to play a trans person, others are pointing out that the representation of trans identity itself is highly insensitive in the trailer. Raising concerns over the various "triggers" for trans people the trailer alone comprises, netizens are calling out the cast and crew of Pati Patni Aur Panga.
They are demanding for the show to be pulled down, through an online petition that states, "The misogyny, transphobia (and transphobic language) and misappropriation of queer narratives in this show not acceptable to the trans community, lgbtq+ community and our allies."
Earlier, Sharma had shared a clip from the trailer on Twitter, writing, "never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd get to do a role like this !! I'm the luckiest girl alive," following it up by saying, "I hope we make the LGBTQIA community proud with this."
People ask me what my dream role would be....never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd get to do a role like this !! I'm the luckiest girl alive ❤️❤️❤️ @MXPlayer@AbirSenguptaapic.twitter.com/4RBuoD8wrf
The plot follows the life of small-time broker Romanchak (Kasturia) who meets, falls in love with, and marries a woman named Shivani Bhatnagar (Sharma). It is only after marriage that he discovers Shivani is a transwoman, who previously called herself Shiv. "Stuck in a situation" like this, in the words of the trailer's official description, Romanchak tries to grapple with this "life-altering secret" about his wife, as they head towards a possible divorce.
The transphobia of Pati Patni Aur Panga comes through, according to social media users, in the way Shivani has been represented. She can be seen deadnaming herself (a term used to refer to a trans or gender non-binary person's former name) and even once peeing standing on the road beside Romanchak. Aside from that, humour used is being classified as crude, with transphobic tropes like Romanchak and his family showing a clear aversion to Shivani.
Social Media Reacts Negatively To Trailer
In an interview, Sharma had said about her role, "This series will not just make you laugh, it also throws light on stereotypes that exist in our society."
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However, netizens are actively calling out her and the others for partaking in such a project. Many have also raised doubts over the misinformed messages about the trans community the series is allegedly putting out, especially in the aftermath of Akshay Kumar's Laxmii, which was slammed for transphobia.
Read some reactions below:
Going through the trailer we can easily know how transphobic the web series is going to be. The character in the story was referred by the wrong pronouns. @adah_sharma tweeted ''I'm playing a man in this film'' NO! You are playing a woman, trans women are women.
problematic movie Laxmii. I do not understand this newfound obsession Bollywood has with mocking trans experiences. Cis-people have NO right to play trans characters much less portray them in such negative light. Trans people face various forms of gender violence-(3/6)
when we say we want lgbtq+ representation we do not mean literally cishet people making transphobic and misogynistic and homophobic shit in name of representation like "pati patni aur panga"
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