I do not have access to my ancestral land Sindh and hence I chose to become the land through TATTOO - Director Sapna Bhavnani

WIG is a film about the life of a woman and a transgender who encounters the prejudices of the society – Director Athanu Mujherjee

Mumbai: 30 Jan 2020

Sapna Moti Bhavnani
"As a child one never wonders where they come from but as they grow up they become curious of their roots. I wanted to know the roots of my family and that inspired me to make this documentary", Director Sapna Bhavnani told the media while talking about her 64 minute film which was screened at MIFF 2020 today.

Sindhustan is the story of the largest migration of a culture in history told through ink (tattoos). It includes stories from India and Sindh intercut with the director’s personal story of illustrating their journeys through tattoos. “I am using an art form from Sindh (Ajrak) and one from India (Madhubani) to tell the story of a land which is carried on the shoulders of its people and not rooted in any soil”, she said.

She mentioned that both language and culture of Sindh is dying and there is no film about the oldest civilization in the world. “I have tattooed their stories on my legs, symbolising our journey on my feet and the lack of our roots. Because I do not have access to my ancestral land Sindh, I chose to become the land,” she said.

Talking about her struggles in making the documentary she said that since she couldn’t personally go and shoot in Sindh, she had to ask a friend, who lives there, to shoot and send the footage. She mentioned that the documentary took 8 years to complete of which 2 years were consumed in editing.

Athanu Mukherjee
Director Athanu Mukherjee while talking about his short film WIG said, "The film is based on relationship between a working woman trying to settle in Mumbai and a transgender person whom she meets accidentally. In life people often use social bias to judge a person. This film breaks those prejudices and makes it possible to understand people better ".
The idea of the film was inspired by the director’s real life observation.  The film was screened at MIFF 2020 under International Competition of the festival.