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The gender bender
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Aashutosh Rana brings to the silver screen the life of Shabnam Mausi, a eunuch who became MLA. Read on with RANA SIDDIQUI
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The general perception about eunuchs is they clap in one specific way, walk with lots of latkas and jhatkas ASHUTOSH RANA
LIFE AS IT IS: Aashutosh Rana with real-life Shabnam Mausi Photo: PTI
He had to unlearn a few things. He had to imbibe the body language of a character never easy to play. Aashutosh Rana had to do all this and more when he signed Shabnam Mausi, his new film due to release this month. It portrays the real life of Madhya Pradesh MLA Shabnam, the first eunuch MLA in India.
"It was the most painful and yet enjoyable role that I have ever done. When I signed the film, it was my attempt not only to learn how Shabnam walks, talks, behaves, her mental make-up but also to unlearn it from other eunuchs' point of view because despite being a eunuch herself, she is different. I met her eight to 10 times. She did my make-up for several hours for many days and finally one day said to me, `now you are looking like us'. I responded, this is not my attempt to look like you. My attempt is not to look like Aashutosh Rana. For me the role is the whole community and not one single person," asserts Aashutosh.
Tough portrayal
The difficult part for Aasutosh was learning her mannerism. His own image of Shabnam was no different from others. "The general perception about eunuchs is they clap in one specific way, walk with lots of latkas and jhatkas, and every sentence of theirs is preceded with hai hai.
But I was amazed to see that Shabnam had none of these traits. Isliye mujhe bina tali peete, bina latak jhatak ke aur bina slang language use kiye bhi aik eunuch lagna tha. My director had told me in no uncertain terms that when the first frame of the film opens, I should look like a eunuch without its preconceived baggage. It was very challenging."
And Aashutosh promises that the film portrays complete growth of Shabnam Mausi from her birth as an impotent child being given away to the eunuch community, her education, humiliations that she faced in school and society, love affair, progress in life and politics and finally a complete acceptance of her body.
"It wasn't easy to translate 45 years of her life into two-and-half-hours. Yet no important aspect that marks her personal and professional growth is being left out," he assures.
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