Kathmandu, Aug 21: A new Teej video entitled ‘Pushpa’, which portrays the challenges faced by third gender individuals in Nepal, has been recently released, coinciding with the upcoming Teej festival. The video starring Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey, the first same-sex couple in Nepal, delves into the challenges and adversity experienced by the sexual and gender minority community.
The video is based on the true story of Maya, a third gender individual, struggling to live independently in a society that denies her gender identity. It also reveals the adversity she has faced due to family and societal denial to accept her gender identity.
The story follows Maya, who under societal pressure leaves her village for the city in hopes of finding freedom. Born as male, she develops female characteristics when she grows up, wearing kajal, bangles and women’s clothing. However, her identity is rejected by the society. Under societal pressure, she leaves her village but only to face the similar challenge in the city. Facing rejection, she ends up into a foreign employment only to experience mistreatment from those whom she considers her friends, forcing her to return home.
The video depicting Maya as a campaigner for SGM rights highlights that third gender people often face more neglect in cities than in villages.
Maya and Surendra’s marriage was legally registered on November 29, 2023, making Nepal the first country to register same-sex marriage in South Asia.
Maya has become a role model for the SGM community with her marriage to Surendra, marking a historic moment. Maya and Surendra have been recently selected as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” by Onlinekhabar, a leading news portal in Nepal.
The song has lyrics by Bikrambabu Bishwokarma and vocals by Tika Pun. The music is composed by Subarna Dulal, and coordinated by Khemraj Gautam. Bimal Chhinal oversees recording and sound mixing. Other models in the video include Subarna Dulal, Humesh Bhandari, Indi Gurung, Anita Thapa and Bimal Pathak.
