Actor Ayushmann Khurrana on Friday inaugurated a food truck aimed at empowering the transgender community in Chandigarh by offering employment opportunities, he said in an Instagram post.
The food truck named Sweekar was opened by the trans women of Chandigarh on Zirakpur VIP Road with the help of Ayushmann, trans activist Mx Dhananjay Chauhan and the Punjab Police. The word sweekar means acceptance in English.
“Jab hum ek dusre ko karenge ‘Sweekar’, tabhi toh hum kar payenge India ko aur behtar (When we accept each other, only then can we make India better),” the Dream Girl 2 actor, who has reportedly invested in the project, wrote on Instagram alongside pictures of him inaugurating the truck.
Extending his whole-hearted support towards Chauhan and the members of the community, Ayushmann added, “I wish Mx Dhananjay Chauhan @mxdhananjay and members of the transgender community of Chandigarh good luck in their food venture! Onwards and upwards.”
Ayushmann cut the ribbon to the food truck alongside Chauhan, the first transgender student of Panjab University, a master trainer for Punjab Police and a bold voice for the community in Chandigarh. He performed the nariyal purnima ritual while several trans women sang a song to celebrate the inauguration. After the ceremony, Ayushmann dug into a plate of steamed momos from the truck and made a thumbs up gesture for the camera, shows a video shared by the actor.
Bollywood actress Tabu dropped clapping hands emoji in the comment section to support the actor and the Chandigarh-based trans community.
A fan referred to Ayushmann’s 2019 film Article 15 and wrote, “When Aditi in Article 15 said- ‘Hero nahi chahiye Ayan, aise log chahiye jo hero ka wait na kare’ - she was talking about our desi superhero Ayush-mann💕 Khurrana ji ka beta supremacy.”
Chauhan shared a series of pictures from the event on Instagram. “Earning with dignity and respect. Transgender can be perfect,” they captioned one of the pictures.
Pictures showing Chauhan posing with Ayushmann in front of the food truck were also shared by the former. “Thanks to Ayushmann Khurrana ji and Punjab Police for supporting the food business in Zirakpur Mohali Punjab,” Chauhan captioned the photos.
Ayushmann has time and again expressed his support for the LGBTQIA+ community. The actor starred in Hitesh Kewalya’s 2020 film Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, in which he played the role of a homosexual man Kartik in love with Jitendra Kumar’s Aman. The film aimed at breaking the stereotypes and depicting the problems faced by the community in India, where being queer is still a taboo.
The trans community in India struggles on a daily basis to eke out a living. The community members have limited opportunities for employment, education and healthcare.
