Firdaus Kanga

Firdaus Kanga Biography

Firdaus Kanga, born in Mumbai is a writer and actor who lives in London. He has authored Trying to Grow, a semi-autobiographical novel set in India and a travel book Heaven on Wheels, about his experiences in UK. His work, Trying to Grow later became a film with name, Sixth Happiness for which Kanga played the role of a screenwriter and played the lead role of Brit, a boy born with brittle bones too. He has also presented a documentary titled Double the Trouble, Twice the Fun - a provocative documentary drama that explored sexuality and disability. Firdaus Kanga was born with osteogenesis imperfect. Kanga has been selected to be part of The Vintage Book of Indian Writing: 1947-97.

Firdaus Kanga was born in the year 1960 in a westernized Parsi community. He was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a condition known as brittle bones disease. This disease gave him many painful fractures in his life as well as soul. His childhood and adolescence were spent in Mumbai in a single bedroom apartment at Mumbai, with family of 5 members. He gave opinions against the Indian socialist consensus, and was a supporter of Reagan and Thatcher politics. His semi-autobiographical work, Trying to Grow changed his life forever. This novel explored disability, sexuality and culture and was well received internationally. It was translated to many foreign languages and was even made a feature film with title, Sixth Happiness in which Kanga acted as well.  

Through his work, Trying to Grow, he openly rejected Hindu notions of karma which says our whole sufferings are related to our last birth’s way of living and karma. In a traditional cultural society like India, through his work he broke several taboos - portraying disabled people with healthy, rich sexual appetites. Kanga was one among those Indians who stood up for the views of gay people.

Published: N/A

Updated: February 26, 2014