Into the forest of the mind

Soni, who has always been a curious young adult, let the story marinate in his head for years. It was a few years ago that he informed Babban about his interest in making this film. “After years of interaction with Babban and trying to understand their struggle, we started working on this project. It wasn’t only my interest in the story but also Babban’s need for their pain and resilience to be shared with the world. I became the medium to tell their story.”

The filmmaker believes that storytelling comes with a lot of responsibility. With Babban sharing possibly everything about their life, Soni feels it becomes even more challenging to deal with the subject with sensitivity. “You are dealing with a part of the country where there’s a massive lack of understanding when it comes to a subject like this. You have to make sure you do justice to the story and also deliver in a way that doesn’t create any trouble for them,” he adds. Soni thinks it is very important to earn the trust of your subject when it comes to dealing with sensitive topics. The subject shouldn’t fear exploitation. “A 25-minute film could have been an hour-long film. There is a reason it isn’t. The realisation comes with the responsibility of the choices that you’ve to make at the edit table. We have been able to deliver, keeping all of this in mind. That is why both Babban and I are very happy with the outcome,” says Soni.

A student of Pratt Institute in New York, it would be an understatement to say that Soni simply loves the city. He breathes it. Soni believes that New York has contributed massively to his filmmaking career. But it is the mundane life in Delhi which keeps inspiring him. “I love New York and feel it is the best city in the world. There’s nothing like the hustle culture in New York. You are surrounded by art, literature and poetry. But I’ve wanted to tell stories because of my never-ending love affair with Delhi. It is home. There’s a story in every lane and bylane, waiting to be told.”