MAMTA: Desire of a Transgender to attain motherhood!

Award winning film maker Sandeep Malani has made lots of films on social issues and has won awards and applauds at various film festivals in Indian and International platform. While his films are based on HIV Aids, Woman empowerment and Child trafficking, he has also made films on the LGBT community and has got rave response for his bold but beautiful subjects.

And not only his short films are focused on such themes, but his commercial feature films too have a character from the community portraying either a gay or a transgender with positivism and been part of the entertainment section. Neither has any character been degraded or shown in poor light.

While SMS 6260 had a transgender providing relief at the call center, she was everyone's favorite Julie Darling; In Janleva 555, there was a make up gay man who was also a darling to the crew on film and on sets.  Shaayad was about a gay man and a model girl living together as best friends and she finds his importance in his life to be caring and helpful than her actual lover. This was a sensitive film that got awards and applauds at various film festivals.

Getting back to the latest, MAMTA (Maternal Love) is a chapter from the film Maa – Yeh CineMaa Hai, is now a full fledged short film in itself. The film talks about the desire of a Trans woman who is a dancer and wants to give education and a name in the society for her three daughters, who she has adopted. She tells her problems she faced during her childhood and does not wish that her daughters face the same. She needs equal rights to them who were orphan, but she took the responsibility to take care of their livelihood.

Sharanya (playing Deepika) is  a dancer who gets trained from Kshama (Sudhaji, a classical well known dancer). Ranveer (Mahendra Pandey) is Deepika’s fiancée and his friend Varun (Ranjeet Jha) visit the dance class, wherein Sudhaji tells her desire and also bless everyone with good health and prosperity.

This sentimental scene is a short film sequence been scripted, conceptualized and directed by Sandeep Malani, besides handling the camera (using iPhone 6s).  The music has been composed by Punith M Ranganathan. Edited by Vignesh Thanupillai for The Studio Agency, it has background score also by Prajoth Dsa. 

The film opens with a small introduction to the character of a Transgender in Hindi films, and the film ends with the character at the dubbing studio sharing her experience of working in the film.

Kshama has worked earlier for a Hindi film titled Beyond – The Third Kind, directed by Shiraz Henry who recommended Kshama for Mamta. Malani and Shiraz are good friends and have worked together in various projects, directed by Henry wherein Malani has acted. 

The film can be viewed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBPBMXlsFSk&t=110s