Njān Sānjo breathes saneness in this gamut of media frenzy whose sole account of Trans lives is to expose their journey from one gender to another; one name to another. Directed by Jijo Kuriakose, Founder of Queerala, an LGBTQIA+ organization in Kerala, this short documentary ventures into the mind of its protagonist—Sanjo, a trans man who calmly talks about his likes and dislikes, aspirations and struggles. What is intriguing about the documentary is its simplistic narration by Sanjo that prompts lasting visuals in our minds.
From his love for animals, his passion for sports which helped shape his confidence to his fascination with math which he relates life’s truths with; the documentary succeeds in capturing all that is mostly overlooked in the life of a trans man – the person beyond a gender identity. Sanjo of course talks about his struggles which are not unfamiliar experiences for most trans men in Kerala. Not being able to assert his right to vote in his true identity, and the bullying and humiliation endured at the hands of a transphobic priest—instigated memories of my own struggles which don’t seem to fade away. Perhaps they never will—is something I realised after watching Njān Sānjo. His struggles, like mine is the truth of many trans men who have lived with the burden of their bodies and its vulnerabilities, condoning a heavily patriarchal and transphobic Malayali society which continues to thrive under a media-gifted “trans friendly” label.
Nearly two years ago, owing to the struggles I endured in changing my gender markers and appalled at the lack of awareness and sensitivity around trans masculine lives, I agreed to feature in a short documentary on my life. Although apprehensive about the outcome of having to live with the tag of my gender identity over all my achievements, skills and interests, the documentary was able to achieve what I had hoped it would—make a connection with other trans brothers who were looking for a source of hope, confidence to come out to their families and most importantly seek help. Sanjo was one of the many brothers who reached out to me. What struck me the most about him was his disciplined composure and the ability to convey his thoughts with conviction. Jijo has been able to beautifully leverage these aspects of Sanjo’s personality in the documentary.
I commend Jijo and the entire team of the short documentary Njān Sānjo for staying true to the art of narrating a trans person’s life through their own voice. To be able to expose your life and give total strangers a glimpse into your mind can be difficult and to do that for the benefit of others is a brave decision for a trans man. Thank you Sanjo for paving the way for many more trans brothers.
Njān Sānjo is not available online as it is being submitted for various film festivals and private screenings. Those who wish to watch this short documentary may write to queerala2014@gmail.com.