<p>Imagine you move into a new city with your bestie and both of you are happily living your ‘main character’ era. Everything’s falling into place until, on a random Monday, you discover that your landlord wants you to vacate your house because your gender identity does not match society’s ideals. This is the story of Laila (played by Manisha Soni) and Roshni (played by Muskan), two trans women who are forced to vacate their home in the movie <span class="italic">Ek Jagah Apni</span>. The movie, which is directed by Ektara Collective and produced by Neeraj Churi was premiered at the 35th Tokyo International Film Festival, 2022. Set in the city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, this tale talks about two best friends trying to find a place in society while learning to experience queer joy during the dark bits of life. This feature film reverberated across the globe and became the only Indian movie to have won the Audience Choice Award in the South By South West (SXSW) Film & TV Festival 2023.</p>.<p>Having watched mainstream media butcher trans representations for decades, this movie offers new hope. <span class="italic">Ek Jagah Apni</span> features transgender women Manisha Soni and Muskan taking on the lead role in the movie. “We are very happy to tell you that in this particular movie, the story has been told from the trans-lens point of view. Since trans actors were involved in the storytelling and in the direction of the film, they chose to highlight their experiences in a very different way that makes sense to the community,” said Neeraj Churi. He also added that authenticity can only be achieved when you empower people to tell their stories.</p>.<p>Besides housing, the movie also focuses on deeper issues like harassment of LGBTQ+ individuals, casteism, and misconceptions about the transgender community which have been woven into the fabric of the society. The importance of casting people from the transgender community instead of experimenting and trying ‘to put yourself in their shoes’ is a lesson that needs to be preached across the industry.</p>.<p>The story navigates from mundane house hunting to questioning if there is any room for transgender individuals in society. This is the key issue that echoed with several members of the transgender community who have been successful in their professional backgrounds, and in their lifestyles and yet face discrimination solely based on appearance. “At every stage, we have somebody or the other, who tells us that no, you don’t belong in this school, this office, this social space, or this housing space. So, this story talks about this universal truth, but at the same time juxtaposes what is at risk for the trans community who especially come from a socially and economically weaker stratum of the society,” explains Neeraj Churi.</p>.<p>Apart from the problems presented in the movie, the team also faced discrimination and a lack of funding while making the movie. Funding and screening LGBTQ+ stories made by independent directors is generally a challenge and in a movie with no ‘male lead’ the challenges are amplified. But the protagonists worked their way up the ladder and the movie was eventually featured at NFDC’s Film Bazaar’s Goes to Cannes at the Marche du Film 2022 along with several other platforms like 2023 BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival, UK Premier and the 14th Bengaluru International Film Festival.</p>
<p>Imagine you move into a new city with your bestie and both of you are happily living your ‘main character’ era. Everything’s falling into place until, on a random Monday, you discover that your landlord wants you to vacate your house because your gender identity does not match society’s ideals. This is the story of Laila (played by Manisha Soni) and Roshni (played by Muskan), two trans women who are forced to vacate their home in the movie <span class="italic">Ek Jagah Apni</span>. The movie, which is directed by Ektara Collective and produced by Neeraj Churi was premiered at the 35th Tokyo International Film Festival, 2022. Set in the city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, this tale talks about two best friends trying to find a place in society while learning to experience queer joy during the dark bits of life. This feature film reverberated across the globe and became the only Indian movie to have won the Audience Choice Award in the South By South West (SXSW) Film & TV Festival 2023.</p>.<p>Having watched mainstream media butcher trans representations for decades, this movie offers new hope. <span class="italic">Ek Jagah Apni</span> features transgender women Manisha Soni and Muskan taking on the lead role in the movie. “We are very happy to tell you that in this particular movie, the story has been told from the trans-lens point of view. Since trans actors were involved in the storytelling and in the direction of the film, they chose to highlight their experiences in a very different way that makes sense to the community,” said Neeraj Churi. He also added that authenticity can only be achieved when you empower people to tell their stories.</p>.<p>Besides housing, the movie also focuses on deeper issues like harassment of LGBTQ+ individuals, casteism, and misconceptions about the transgender community which have been woven into the fabric of the society. The importance of casting people from the transgender community instead of experimenting and trying ‘to put yourself in their shoes’ is a lesson that needs to be preached across the industry.</p>.<p>The story navigates from mundane house hunting to questioning if there is any room for transgender individuals in society. This is the key issue that echoed with several members of the transgender community who have been successful in their professional backgrounds, and in their lifestyles and yet face discrimination solely based on appearance. “At every stage, we have somebody or the other, who tells us that no, you don’t belong in this school, this office, this social space, or this housing space. So, this story talks about this universal truth, but at the same time juxtaposes what is at risk for the trans community who especially come from a socially and economically weaker stratum of the society,” explains Neeraj Churi.</p>.<p>Apart from the problems presented in the movie, the team also faced discrimination and a lack of funding while making the movie. Funding and screening LGBTQ+ stories made by independent directors is generally a challenge and in a movie with no ‘male lead’ the challenges are amplified. But the protagonists worked their way up the ladder and the movie was eventually featured at NFDC’s Film Bazaar’s Goes to Cannes at the Marche du Film 2022 along with several other platforms like 2023 BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival, UK Premier and the 14th Bengaluru International Film Festival.</p>