Throwback Thursday: 4 Times Lokkhi Bravely Stood Up To Discrimination In Phirki!

The latest Zee Bangla TV serial Phirki is a powerful show which centres around Lokkhi (Arjaa Banerjee), a transgender woman who brings up a little girl called Phirki. Not surprisingly, life is not an easy road for Lokkhi as she faces all manners of discrimination from different sources because of her non-binary gender, which is considered as unconventional, and often unacceptable in our society. However, Lokkhi is a patient and kind soul, and her love for her daughter gives her the strength to take on every challenge headlong and fight fairly for her rights. She is indeed an inspiration to us all, so let’s take a look at some of the instances that Lokkhi stood up for herself in spite of being insulted and discriminated against.

Watch an episode from Phirki here:

1. When The Doctor Refused To Treat Phirki

When Phirki had fallen ill and had a high fever that would not abate, Lokkhi was understandably alarmed and sought to give her daughter the medical care that she urgently needed. She sent Parvati, her housemate, to summon a doctor while she looked after Phirki at home. However, Parvati took ages to return, and when she did, she woefully explained that the doctor had turned her away by saying he was busy with other patients. Parvati said it was clear that her refused to listen to her because she was a transgender. Heartbroken, Lokkhi rushed Phirki to the hospital and insisted on waiting her turn to receive treatment.

2. When The Watchman Refused Entry

Lokkhi had taken Phirki to the school to collect an admission form so she could join. However, even though the watchman spoke nicely to Phirki, he changed his tack just when he saw her mother. He insulted Lokkhi and turned her away. He angrily demanded to know how ‘her kind’ even had the guts to try to enter the institution, and would not budge despite her repeated pleas. Two other parents who were nearby joined him to insult her, and Lokkhi was in tears. However, Lokkhi did not let this break her spirit, and persisted in her fight to give her daughter an education.

3. When Rosey Bullied Her

Rosey, another transgender woman and Lokkhi’s housemate, was unabashed about her hatred for cisgender or ‘normal’ people because of the way they tend to treat those from minority communities. Rosey was not only loudly vocal in her disapproval of the way Lokkhi chose to respect and interact with these ‘normal’ people, she went out of her way to harass Lokkhi for it. Rosey even tried to steal her money and prevent her from hobnobbing with ‘regular’ folk, and even though Lokkhi never retaliated harshly, she never succumbed to Rosey’s threats nor held it against her.

4. When The School Principal Blocked Phirki

When Lokkhi finally took Phirki to the school’s principal for admission, the principal merely insulted Lokkhi for her gender and did not even deem it necessary to give Phirki a chance to get an education. At this, Lokkhi calmly but firmly stood her ground and pointed out that it was against the law to withhold such a right to a citizen, and that it went against what the school claimed to stand for. At this, Arindam, another authority at the school, got the message and gave Lokkhi the form despite the principal’s own discriminatory stance.

Which instance of Lokkhi’s strength inspired you the most? Let us know in the comments below!

For more entertainment, watch the drama film Basu Poribar.

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