Meet Padmini, India's first transgender TV news anchor

An Indian television news station has recruited the country's first transgender news anchor, five months after a court ruled that transgender people be recognised as a legal third gender.

Padmini Prakash, 31, who works at Lotus News in the southern state of Tamil Nadu said that she had faced a lot of discrimination throughout her life, including being disowned by her family.

She worked as a dancer and then acted in Tamil soap operas before joining the news channel.

Prakash said it was daunting to take such a high profile role. “I was very worried because I also had to focus on my diction and maintain a steady narrative pace to ensure that there was clarity and viewers could understand me,” said Prakash.

A month after she started, Padmini has become the face of the Coimbatore-based Lotus News Channel's daily 7 pm special bulletin.

Image: Padmini is the face of the Coimbatore-based Lotus News Channel's daily 7 pm special bulletin