The director on his months-long quest for the ideal actor, highlighting the achievements of transgenders, and how such projects are a break from making commercial ad films.
When director Deepmala started writing her second short story film a glimpse, she systematically turned to a community she had worked with in the past. “I have always had a soft spot for transgenders. I have made films on social issues with various government agencies and ministries including the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), for which I have made documentaries on HIV. During one such project, I got an opportunity to work closely with the transgender community,” says the Delhi-based director.
The 19-minute short story, starring Amit Sadh in the lead with Sushma Seth, Ashish Ghosh and Zeeshan Ayyub in the lead, revolves around a single father (Naman) who becomes attracted to his new neighbor without meeting him. Through a glimpse, he catches glimpses of her and discovers the aspects that intrigue her. The enigmatic neighbour, Rasika, is played by Disha Yadav, a transgender actor. “I never thought of casting a non-transgender actor for this role. It is not authentic,” says Deepmala, who directed the 2018 short film, give a try. It took the 40-year-old more than three months to find the ideal actor. “I had a very specific look in mind while writing Rasika. We met and auditioned a lot of actors from the community, but I didn’t get my Rasika. Somebody suggested Disha’s name and even though she had not acted much earlier, but as soon as I met her, I came to know that she is a great fit for the role.”
big reveal
Trained as a broadcast journalist, Deepmala worked with Star News and Zee News before she realized reporting was not for her. For more than a decade, she has been heading The Visual House, a one-stop agency for design and communication in Faridabad, Haryana. While his full focus on work (advertising films, documentaries) continues, his creativity in fiction is more to feed his creativity. “Making films for clients was starting to feel like a factory. I wrote a glimpse About three years ago because I wanted to do something to satisfy myself artistically. It took me about an hour to write the entire script,” she says.
Shot almost in sequence in Noida, UP, Deepmala didn’t let the two lead actors meet till the last day when they shot for the big reveal of the film. “I wanted Amit’s response to be as authentic as possible. They were both dying to meet each other but I was very strict,” she recalls with a laugh. In the film, which she describes as a ‘modern love story’, Rasika’s character is a high-profile working woman and mother at the top of her game. “While I have seen firsthand the struggles they face, I wanted this film to highlight their achievements. There are a lot of big personalities in the transgender community who are doing really well and I wanted to celebrate that and their independence,” she concluded.
a glimpse Now streaming on Amazon Mini TV.
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