UnWoman

Unwoman story: A simple man from a village in Rajasthan is duped by a human trafficker who sells him a transperson instead of a bride. He and his dominating uncle decide to keep her for household chores. Their marriage of convenience turns into love, but will the orthodox society accept the relationship?

Unwoman review: We are all products and victims of patriarchy. From the opening scene, Pallavi Roy’s film reminds one of how men and other genders are as vulnerable to misogyny as women. A transgender person, Sanwari (Kanak Garg), is sold off to a human trafficker, who further sells her to Bhanwar (Sarthak Narula) and his uncle, Bhairo (Bhagwan Tiwari). Bhanwar is a 35-year-old man who has failed to find a bride and sells his land to buy one — a failure that he is taunted for, pointing toward the pressure to get married on men, too. This is where the film stands out. It’s not a skewed look at patriarchy that leaves out other genders. Bhairo is the typical patriarch who ensures his nephew is financially dependent on him and resorts to manipulation and his seniority to ensure he has Bhanwar under his thumb.

At the movie’s core, however, is a heart-touching story about love blossoming between the kind and considerate Bhanwar and the docile, sweet-natured, but smart Sanwari. The moments between them are tender and delightful, as they feed Bhairo’s male ego but fool him into stealing some time to be with each other. Their world comes crashing down after an incident, and when Bhairo instigates the villagers against the duo. Will Bhanwar stand up to his uncle and society to be Sanwari or succumb to decades of bullying, which is hard to put a hard stop to form the rest of the tale?

Debutante director Pallavi Roy handles the story, screenplay and direction with great compassion and finesse. The movie perfectly balances a social issue (the rights of the LGBTQ+ community) and a sensitive story. It’s heartrending without being overly dramatic and an interesting mix of matter-of-fact, thought-provoking and heart-touching storytelling all at the same time. Shakil Rehan Khan’s cinematography — magnificent sand dunes, silhouettes of sunset, and the colours of Rajasthan blend perfectly with the warm light play of night scenes. Love-making scenes are shot aesthetically; the filming neither trivialises nor titillates with the subject at hand. Pallavi has also delicately penned dialogues, and even the crass lines when the village's men talk to each other are not in poor taste but how locals would speak. One’s heart goes out to Sanwari when she tells Bhanwar that she finds more comfort in the cage of four walls than being out in the world.

Kanak Garg delivers a powerful performance; her portrayal of helplessness and vulnerability is as on-point as sass and seduction. Sarthak Narula is expressive and gets the nuances of his role as someone caught between years of conditioning and the desire to be free perfectly. Bhagwan Tiwari, too, shines with his performances and succeeds in evoking disgust with his characterisation.

'Unwoman' deserves to be watched for its gentle storytelling and important message, and it can be a lesson in how one can handle a sensitive subject with grace.