Last Updated: October 2025

For decades, Bollywood and regional Indian cinema used Hijras as caricatures—comic relief sidekicks or villains in item numbers. But in the last five years (2021–2025), the landscape has shifted dramatically. This article provides an updated guide to the most groundbreaking, sensitive, and hard-hitting Indian movies featuring transgender and Hijra protagonists. Old Bollywood (1990s–2010s) gave us problematic tropes. Think of the film Sadak (1991) or Singham Returns (2014), where Hijras were mocked for their voice or used for cheap laughs. The "updated" era, starting around 2020, is defined by OTT platforms (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sony Liv) allowing independent filmmakers to tell stories by and about the community.

If you are a student of cinema or an ally, watch these films. If you are a curious viewer, update your vocabulary to Hijra or transgender to find better search results. And always support the actual artists—not pirated clips.