Queer Narratives in Malayalam: Explicating the Politics of Authorial Cisgender Gaze in Ram C/o Anandhi

Abstract

This article critically examines the representation of queer and transgender identities in Malayalam literature, focusing on the pervasive influence of authorial cisgender gaze in shaping these narratives. Through an analysis of works such as Ram C/o Anandhi, Randu Penkuttikal, and Shabdangal, the study highlights how cisgender authors often frame queer lives through heteronormative lenses, reducing them to tropes of suffering, or moralistic resolutions. Drawing on theorists like Butler, Halberstam and Stryker, the study argues that such portrayals reinforce heteronormative comfort rather than transgender authenticity. Transgender characters are frequently excluded from visual narratives or depicted as tragic figures, while lesbian relationships are invalidated through forced heteronormative conclusions. The article also explores the commodification of trans trauma and reader-pleasing strategies that prioritize sympathy over agency. By contextualizing these literary trends within broader theoretical frameworks such as performativity, the male gaze, and transgender critiques, the paper underscores the need for authentic, inclusive storytelling that transcends cisgender perspectives. Moving on from tracing the evolution of queer studies, this study examines a few queer narratives in Malayalam, and concludes with an examination of the politics of authorial cisgender gaze in Akhil P. Dharmajan’s Ram C/o Anandhi (first published in 2019), emphasizing the need to move beyond reductive portrayals and embrace the complexity of queer lived experiences.