"Dev Patel's 'Monkey Man' Spotlights India's Hijra Community and Marks a Personal Triumph"
Dev Patel's latest film, Monkey Man, has been praised for its inclusion of India's "third gender," the hijra, a community of gender non-conforming people and trans women that has existed for over 2,000 years. Hijras are born with male genitalia or are intersex and may undergo surgery as part of a ceremony celebrating a Hindu mother goddess. Despite facing discrimination and violence, hijras play important roles in ceremonies and were recognized as a minority community by the Supreme Court of India in 2014. Monkey Man, which features hijra characters, is seen as an anthem for the marginalized and aims to shed light on the underrepresented hijra community in India and beyond.