Transwoman Gauri Sawant defends Sushmita Sen's role in 'Taali'

The activisit said Sen was her first choice and that there are many trans actors featured in the series

Gauri Sawant, a transgender rights activist, considers Sushmita Sen's role a breath of life into her tale in Taali. She regards it as an accomplishment for the whole trans community and doesn't want to worry about the rumours surrounding Sen's hiring.

Sen unveiled her forthcoming online project, Taali, for the first time this week on her Instagram account. The initial trailer mainly received excellent reviews and sparked a new online discussion over why transgender actors aren't cast in mainstream media.

In an interview, Sawant shared, "First, I want to make it clear that there are many transgender actors who will be seen in the project, who were picked after a thorough audition process. I am also attached to the project, not as an actor, but in some way. So, it is not just that Sushmita is the only one acting in the project."

"Most of us from the community wanted to be women, and that is the reason we decided to wear a saree. Now, it is a mark of respect for us that a female actor is playing the role instead of a male actor, which we have seen happening in the past," She continues.

Gauri Sawant is the founder of Sakhi Char Chowghi Trust, an NGO that offers counseling to transgender persons and advocates protection. Her journey to become India's first transgender mother will be chronicled throughout the six episodes of this web series.

The emotional link between a mother and a daughter will also be explored in the series. Notably, Sawant has also brought together over 500 transgender people and conducts crucial work to help sex workers.

"One should think about how challenging the role will be for a woman with such stature. Because the role comes with a lot of taboos with which we live. She has shown the courage to take it up. And she was my first choice," concludes Sawant.

Sen, who has a lot on her plate, plans to wrap up the series by November so she can focus on shooting the third season of Ram Madhvani's Aarya. She's also prepared to return to the big screen after a long hiatus through this biopic.

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