Abandoned at 7, she survived by selling flowers and washing cars: Actor Madhavan applauds transgender artist who chose dance to ‘live with dignity, pride and purpose’

Actor R Madhavan has established a strong social media foothold, thanks to his delightful posts. The 56-year-old often shares interesting updates on Instagram, ranging from quirky facts, human-oriented tales, personal anecdotes, and viral animal videos. This time was no exception. Madhavan, whose latest offering, GDN, arrived on Netflix on September 4, recently re-shared a video of a transgender artist, Krishna Mohini, on Instagram. Born in Delhi, she was abandoned by her family. But refusing to beg for a living, she chose to wear ghungroos and seek independence through dance.

Transgender artist was left alone in the streets

As per a report by Mid-Day, Krishna Mohini was only 7 years old when she was abandoned by her father for being transgender. While her twin brother was welcomed into the family, she was left all alone in the streets to fend for herself. Mohini was forced to beg and engage in prostitution, scrambling to survive. But such an existence of begging someone for money made her fiercely embarrassed and resentful.

Even in such tough conditions, Mohini harboured the quiet passion to perform. She admitted that even when living on the road, she used to break into impromptu dance performances. Shortly after being embraced by a Hijra community, Mohini watched a child sing on a train, reported The Better India. That’s when she realised that art could become her saviour from a life of hardship.

Transgender artist’s struggle and success story

Now, Mohini’s life has become a commute from Borivli down to Churchgate and back to Virar in the ladies' compartments of Mumbai locals. She avoids performing in general coaches. Her attire features elegant Lucknowi kurtas, embroidered dupattas, Kutchi-style ghaghra cholis, and crisply pleated Bharatanatyam costumes. But Mohini admits that dancing in a moving train can get challenging at times, requiring extreme balance and focus, as reported by Mid-Day.

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Last year, one of Mohini’s videos went viral where she was heard saying, ‘Main bheek maangke nahi kamaungi, mein apni kala dikhaungi (I will not earn by begging, I will show my art).’ Draped in a green saree and adorned with gold jewellery, she displayed her graceful moves with such poise and on-point expression that the entire coach fell silent, watching her in admiration. ‘Today, I dance not just to survive, but to live with dignity, pride, and purpose,’ she shared. Now, her only goal is to learn dance formally and study well.