For the first time in the history of Indian television, a transgender will anchor a talk show on a Tamil channel, Star Vijay, titled Ippadikku Rose (Yours Rose), glamourising a gender condemned to begging and sex work.

A 28-year-old transgender, Rose, hailing from Chennai, will come on air about issues hitherto considered ‘hush hush’ like homosexuality, alternative sexuality, child abuse, sex abuse and generally things labelled as taboo.

Dressed in glamourous costumes, that would range from designer sarees to western clothes, Rose will talk to celebrities on issues like phobias, rebellion and beauty “evoking emotions of all kinds in all kinds of people” for about half-an-hour in a late night talk show to be aired once every week.

Rose, a chemical engineer, who completed her MS in biomedical engineering in the US, had won a beauty pageant for transgenders this year in Chennai. Refusing to “join” the transgender community, better known for indulging in commercial sex and begging, Rose hopes to set an example with her talk show.

The shoots for the show will begin in a couple of weeks and stylist and choreographer, Sunil Menon, well known in the fashion circuit, would be designing Rose’s clothes. “Besides Rose, there would be a protagonist on the show, depending on the issue of the day,” Star Vijay programming head, Pradeep Milroy Peter, told reporters on Thursday.

“By being chosen as an anchor for the Vijay TV programme, I can prove that if a transgender with beauty, skill and talent, given an opportunity, can do well,” said Rose.