A determined and ambitious transwoman, Harshini is living a life of respect and dignity defiantly and using her tenacity to spread the word that the transgender community deserves to live with dignity.

Harshini Mekala is a transwoman from Andhra Pradesh who works as an actor and a human resources specialist. She has performed in theater and a few South Indian films.

Harshini comes from a family of farmers in a small village. She holds a master's degree in economics and has eight years of professional experience in a variety of fields, including academics, project management, and human resources.

Harshini recalls her childhood, stating that she used to wear her sister's clothes and conduct household activities such as washing utensils and preparing rangoli. Her battle with the world and herself began when she realized she was a woman trapped in a man's body. She used to avoid going to school because the discrimination was so severe. Her mental health was being negatively impacted by the constant taunts from her classmates. But despite being in such a bad situation, she had always wanted to be an actress.

Talking about her struggles, Harshini says that she has had a difficult existence. She states that even though her farmer father opposed her wanting to pursue postgraduate studies, her mother always wanted her to live with dignity. She continues by stating that she attended school as a man because universities would not admit someone with her background.

After graduating, Harshini traveled to Mumbai with two trans people but left after three days because she couldn't handle the oppressive way of life there. She came back and enrolled in a post-graduate program and worked as a lecturer for a while with the intention of changing her life through education and employment.

She subsequently returned to Mumbai, this time to work with the Triveni Samaj Vikas Kendra, an NGO. Furthermore, she underwent a sex reassignment procedure, which gave her a new identity. Her life was temporarily put on hold due to the passing of her parents. She had a severe depression and even considered committing suicide. But she didn't give up on her goals; instead, she followed her heart, battled for her rights, and today she is an inspiration to her entire community.

When asked about her achievements, Harshini is proud to say that she has participated in Miss Transqueen India, tried modeling, and appeared in two short films, "Revenge" and "Growing India," in addition to a web series and a tollywood film. Harshini was even chosen as the coordinator for Pride Place, the first police-led initiative in the country dedicated solely to aiding the LGBTQIA community, which was launched by the Women Safety Wing of the Telangana State police.

Harshini shares her COVID pandemic experience by saying that the transgender community is an underprivileged community, and their suffering was at its peak during the pandemic, therefore she wanted to help them. With the help of numerous NGOs and the government, she helped the transgender community and other underprivileged people by distributing food and other necessities. Harshini got numerous honors for her contributions, including the Savitri Bai Phule Award and Best National Activist award.

Harshini says that if a Time Machine can be obtained, she would like to bring her mother back. She desires to spend more time with her mother and provide her access to all the comforts she was unable to enjoy when she was alive.

She says that she doesn't want to make any changes to her life because all of her efforts have allowed her to achieve her goals.

Harshini looks up to Mother Teresa and her own mother as role models. She says  her mother encouraged her to live a dignified life and supported her throughout her entire life. She finds inspiration in Mother Teresa's life as the mother of the nation.

Harshini advises the young people in her community to be brave, stand up for their fundamental rights, and pursue education first because it is the key to leading a respectable life.