Trans superhero leads fight against Covid-19 in new Pakistani short

The animated film sees people from diverse backgrounds come together for a common cause

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic took flight in Pakistan, multiple awareness initiatives have been launched in the country. While most of them are straight forward, some have stood out in the way they have delivered the message. Earlier this year, film-maker Zeeshan Parvez developed an animated short in Pashto that promotes personal hygiene in wake of the corona outbreak in Pakistan. The protagonist Pabo Badmash is presented as the only man standing in the way of coronavirus and his people.

The quirky short saw the townspeople present various weapons to Pabo to tackle the impending threat of coronavirus. From a cricket bat to a 2013 model of a rocket launcher, Pabo rejects them all in favour of soap.

More recently another animated short with a similar aim has surfaced on social media, developed by Xdynamics Media. Much like how Parvez's short focused on enabling people to protect themselves from the ongoing pandemic; this too carries that as a central theme. However, instead of Pabo Badmash, Xdynamics' story involves multiple heroes from different walks of life in Pakistan helping those around them.

One of the heroes in the video is a transgender named Bijli who goes on to help out an elderly man with a disability. During the scene, Bijli talks about how during these testing times people should pay attention to both the physical and mental wellbeing of vulnerable members of society including women, children, the elderly, and trans genders. Also serving as the leader of the group, Bijli directs the team that includes Ali, a happy go lucky Rubab player, and Afika to go and help out different members of society.

"As the danger of Covid-19 recedes, we must understand that it is still not over. For the first time in Pakistan, a group of five heroes comes together (while keeping a safe distance) under the leadership of Pakistan’s first animated transgender character, Bijli. Their message is crisp and clear: precaution is the only cure. Our Heroes will not leave a single stone unturned to spread the message in their own special ways," the official description of the video reads.

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