Kolkata, October: ‘Ardhanarishwar’. A new docu-fiction is coming with this name. This documentary will talk about the unknown aspects of the transgender community in Kolkata.
Produced by Kolkata Dreams, ‘Ardhanarishwar’ will be directed by Atanu Roy and Moon Saha, to explore the less explored side of the relationship between the society and the trans community. Keeping the puja time shooting in mind, Atanu has already finished writing the screenplay. The docu-fiction will compete in various film festivals around the world.
“We will shoot ‘Ardhanarishwar’ during Puja. One of the main reasons is to keep the visual authenticity of the festival intact, but at the same time, we want to bring out the colourfulness of Kolkata during puja and how diverse it is for the trans community of the same city. I just want to add one more thing, there is a reason why I am calling it a docu-fiction. But for now, let it be a surprise,” said Atanu.
Moon Saha said, “Celebrating the Puja is also a reason to honour the contribution of the transgender community to this. We also want to show the stature of their acceptance to the society and how far the dream of an inclusive society has come true”.
For several years, transgender individuals have been orchestrating a unique celebration of the Durga puja under the guidance of prominent transgender social activist Ranjita Sinha. Though puja is a part, the docu-fiction is not only about this puja. Rather, it will shed light on the multifaceted struggles of transgender communities in their lives. This docu aims to unravel many unknown facets of different sexual orientations.
“When Atanu makes this proposal, I have enough motives to come to terms. Keeping in mind the way we are marginalized in society, this docu-fiction has a lot of importance. Everyone says, people like us don’t have families, there is nothing in our life. Being isolated from everything, how we organise a puja with our labour and come together on Navratri will also reach more people”, says Ranjita Sinha about the docu-fiction.
The significance of this docu-fiction extends beyond the entertainment lens. The aim of this work is to inspire people from all walks of life for an inclusive society. ‘Ardhanarishwar’ will initiate a range of direct dialogues on societal opinions on transgender rights, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
“We aim to break some of the taboos and challenge stereotypes of the society. As a thoughtful fellow citizen, this initiative is to underline the need for mutual respect, tolerance, and empathy, rather than sympathy for the transgender community. I would consider this docu-fiction a success if it can be a concluding paragraph in a long article on social inequality”, Atanu concluded.
(This story has not been edited by News Mania staff and is published from a Media Release)
