EXCLUSIVE! 'We Have Cast Around 2,200 Transgenders In Series', Reveals Taali Creators Arjun and Kartk

Sushmita Sen starrer new web series Taali on transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant is streaming on JioCinema from August 15. The series depicts the difficulties faced by the transgender community in India and the court battle that led to the inclusion of the third gender on official documents.

Ahead of Taali's Independence Day release, Filmibeat spoke to the creator duo Arjun Singgh Baran and Kartk D Nishandar, where they shared how Sushmita Sen was roped in for Taali and what the audience can expect from the show.

Arjun and Kartk said, "When our writer Kshitij Patwardhan came up with the script, we were thinking of it as a Marathi film. But then we felt that this story should reach as many people as possible, and we could not do justice to the story of a personality like Shreegauri Sawant in just two hours. Her journey is of 20 years, we cannot cover it in two hours. Then we planned to make it in Hindi and keep the format of web series."

Shreegauri And Sushmita Both Are Very Strong Women

They added, "This is a very motivational story. And from the very beginning, we have tried to present it as a positive story. Because normally in Hindi films or shows when we talk about transgenders, they are shown in a very negative way. Also, mostly the character is played by a male actor. No female has ever played this role. But we thought that if you want to tell the story of a mother, you should cast a strong actress. Sushmita Sen is also a mother herself, she has adopted two girls, so she relates a lot. They both are very strong women. Both are opinionated and speak so well. The way transgenders have been shown in Hindi films so far is very caricaturish. We did not want to go there. This is a very sensitive show. We have covered a lot of details in this. How transgenders live, how is their lifestyle, their body language, which god they worship, what does their locality look like, their rituals, about their celebrations, etc. We took all these inputs from Shreegauri and her team as well."

Sushmita Sen Took 6 Months To Study The Character

Talking about Sushmita Sen, the creators said, "She was always the first choice. Shreegauri is extremely beautiful and logical. Sushmita Sen has all these qualities. When we approached her, she read the story in the first two days and she loved it. Then she took around six months to study the character deeply. She had multiple questions such as how we see the show as creators and our thoughts on it. She didn't accept the role till she was hundred percent convinced. When she came on set, she knew the script by heart. She does her homework very well. Acting coach Atul Mongia helped her to finetune the transformation and director Ravi Jadav guided her to get the nuances of the Marathi diction right. She also worked very hard on her voice modulation. She put her heart and soul into Taali and today we cannot imagine anyone else playing Gauri other than her."

Have cast around 2,200 transgenders in Taali

Arjun and Kartk said, "Shreegauri Sawant was always very excited that her story is about to come to the world through a series. We kept her involved during the entire writing process. We had an idea that this is a sensitive subject and there should be no mistake. We have cast around 2,200 transgenders in Taali. We have not roped in regular actors because we want them to be treated positively, as equals and get employment. We want people to see this series as a journey of a mother, of an unsung hero, and not just a transgender."