Delhi youngster bats for real gender equality through the reel

Our experiences often find an expression in our creative pursuits. That’s why 17-year-old Devansh Saraf, a self-made filmmaker, felt the need to talk about gender equality and conceptualised the film, X or Y. This Delhiite’s cinematic work takes a deep look at the prevalent misconception about what determines the sex of a child. “When I was in standard IX, we studied that the sex of the child depends on the man and not the woman. I thought that this is an important topic that needs to be spoken about,” says Saraf.

Directed by Shadab Khan, the film is about an ordinary Indian family discovering this fact about the sex of a child. Conceived and produced by Saraf, the film has already won 13 awards nationally as well as internationally, and was recently released on an OTT platform.

Saraf reveals that he interviewed over 50 people, and only 10-12 out of them knew that the sex of a child is not determined by the mother. The story idea also germinated from the patriarchy he witnessed. His parents wanted a son — not because they were unhappy with his two elder sisters but because of the “societal pressure”. “The pressure really got to my mother. At one point, she wasn’t allowed to wear glass bangles at family functions or perform rituals, and was made to eat pearls,” he adds.

The youngster shares he was “shocked” to learn what his “mother went through for so many years”. “It wasn’t even in her control. The fact about X or Y chromosomes of the male — which determines the sex of the child — was something that I couldn’t get out of my head. And that led to the movie X or Y,” he recalls.

Watching the film being made — starring Iqbal Khan, Shafaq Naaz, Sachin Khurana and Abha Parmar, among others — was an “emotional” yet “super exciting” journey for Saraf.

Saraf adds that the message of the film extends beyond a child’s sex: “I’m a firm believer in gender equality, especially when I see my sisters moving mountains with their words. This movie also has a strong message that it’s okay for a woman to pursue a career. When she can contribute an equal share to the household, why stop just because she delivered a baby?”

Ask why he chose the movie route for his message, and he explains, “When a person is given advice, they tend to ignore it. But a movie is a silent yet impactful educator. Taare Zameen Par and 3 Idiots (2009), for example, started a dialogue about important issues in society.

Author Tweets @Nainaarora8

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