Surya Vinod

Surya Vinod is a well-known actor and a model. Born in a small village of Ulloor in Kerala, she currently lives in Trivandrum. Coming from a financially unstable background, she discontinued her studies after completing high school to support her family. Surya’s father was a coolie, and her mother used to run a small eatery in the outskirts of Trivandrum. After working as a mimicry artist for almost nine years, Surya got the opportunity to work as a supporting actor in the reality TV show ‘Vodafone Comedy Stars’ aired on Asianet. Surya doesn’t hesitate to identify herself as transgender.

When she started her career as a mimicry artist, people advised her to hide her gender preference from the crowd, but she chose to remain truthful to herself and didn’t hold back the truth about her gender. In various interviews, she had also mentioned that when she came out as transgender, many people asked her to quit stage shows. Surya even recounted that one of the reasons behind her decision to discontinue her studies was being transgender. She would have still faced difficulties with finding a job even if she finished her education.

She has also been very passionate about classical dance and learned some when studying in her school. She has even won the Kalaprathiba at Trivandrum. Surya portrayed the role of a transgender person in the first-ever transgender movie by the Malayalam film industry titled ‘ Ardhanaari Click to look into! >> Read More... ,’ meaning half man half woman, directed by Santhosh Souparnika. The movie was released in 2016. During the promotions for the movie, Surya had to go through a lot of troubles. She explained how people are still insensitive towards the problem of being transgender.

‘Parisile Payyan’ was another film in which she worked. Surya is currently not married. She is against the institution of marriage and believes that it is almost impossible to meet people who are sincere and sensitive towards other’s feelings. Surya is now the Branch Manager of ‘Thakachal’ – an organization that works for the support and well-being of the LGBT community- a project by Sangama. Surya won the special jury award for her female roles in the comedy skit at the Asianet Comedy Awards The Asianet Comedy Awards is an award ceremony hel >> Read More... 2015. She has even traveled across the globe for various stage shows.

Another Version

Surya Vinod, a transgender mimicry artist cum reality show performer, is from Thiruvanthapuram, Kerala. She was well aware that it was difficult for a transgender person to live a life on her terms in Kerala, given the state's strict attitude toward gender minorities. she describes." Everything has happened to me. Gender minorities are mistreated and tormented by the general populace in this state. Even a well-known reality show star-like myself gets backlash for coming out. But I'm prepared to face it because I want other people to have a different life here than I have. I don't want them to be locked away in a closet."   Surya is relieved that the Indian government has finally acknowledged transgender people in the Aadhar card. The actor also played a transgender character in Santhosh Souparnika's first-ever transgender Malayalam film, Ardhanaari, released last year. Surya is now a famous reality show star on Asianet's 'Vodafone Comedy Star' in Malayalam. She has also worked as a full-time stage mimicry artist.

Surya realized some change in her while in Class VI, and thankfully, her parents accepted it.  Even when she was in lower primary school, she expressed her desire to live like a lady to everyone. Her parents granted her wishes and even purchased her girl's clothing. Surya's father works as a coolie, and her mother owns a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram's outskirts. Surya had only completed Class 10 because she believed she would not be hired no matter how hard she studied due to her gender. Surya is not married and is opposed to marriage; therefore, overcoming the hurdles was difficult. She is presently the branch manager of Thakachal, a Sangama project that works to improve the lives of LGBT people.