Team Gaysi did a short interview via email with Director Deepthi Tadanki on her upcoming film “Satyavati”. The film deals with the subject of corrective rape (hate crime against LGBTQ people) and is based on some real life instances of Queer women in Bangalore.
Q. Unfortunately, there are a wide number of ways in which people for the choice of their sexual orientation specifically target queer people. Films depicting the same are important to raise awareness. But what specifically drew you to the subject of corrective rape?
When I read about corrective rape, what shook me is the inhumane activities people are doing to the girls in the name of power and discrimination (male ego), also culture and tradition. Apart from strangers or acquaintances their own families are a party in supporting, planning and executing it. The guilty in most cases are not punished and our society is okay with it.
Q. Setting a script for such a project is quite an undertaking and there are a variety of factors to consider. Were you apprehensive about the risks you would be taking, if any?
I was never scared or worried. Bringing out the fact for betterment of a cause has only assisted me in building more confidence over the years.
Q. Understandably you would have to depict scenes of intimacy between queer women and sexual violence. Was it easy finding your cast?
No. It wasn’t easy. It took a lot of time. I should thank Bangalore people for this. The LGBTQ community in the city is open and has came forward to help me when I initiated this. I started my look out in Hyderabad, then Bombay and thereafter reached Bangalore.
Q. Could you give us a bit about your background as a director and the projects that you have worked on in the past or you would like to work on in the future?
This is my first film as a Director. I have worked as an Assistant Director in Bombay. Worked with production houses such as Balaji Tele films & MTV Webbed) and have also done several corporate films. My director is Abhijit Das. He is one of my pillars for this film and has helped me immensely in making this project a reality.
I would like to continue making such thought inculcating films in future too.
Q. You mentioned that you would like to take this to an international audience also through film festivals. What has the response to the promotional clip been like within the LGBT community in India?
I still need to figure it out. As I said earlier the Queer community in Bangalore has been very supportive. I have been receiving a lot of appreciation and acknowledgements from people. While through social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter we have managed to promote our film and crowdfunding initiative quite successfully however the monetary contribution so far has been very minimum.
Satyavati is 30% complete and we are desperately looking for funds to complete the rest of the film. Funds received through our crowdfunding call will also be used for post-production work and promotional campaign.
So yes we still have a long way to go and need as much support as possible. Fingers crossed.
Trailer of Satyavati :
