Who Is Shreegauri Sawant, The Transgender Activist Played By Sushmita Sen In 'Taali'

Actor and former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen is all set to essay the role of popular transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant, in an upcoming biopic, titled Taali बजाऊँगी नहीं, बजवाऊँगी, in association with Viacom18. The actor took to her social media to share the powerful first look of her portrayal as the formidable Shreegauri Sawant.

“Taali बजाऊँगी नहीं, बजवाऊँगी! Presenting my first look as #ShreegauriSawant. Nothing makes me more proud and grateful than to portray this beautiful person and bring her story to the world!" she captioned the image.

Following the reveal of her first look, Sushmita Sen said, “A story of struggle, resilience, and indomitable power, that’s Shreegauri Sawant for you! Nothing makes me more proud and grateful than to bring this journey that has been rife with challenges, only to witness a revolution! This one is special for reasons multifold, and I’m really excited to associate with Viacom18 for this one. This is just the beginning, stay tuned for what’s in store!”

Born as Ganesh and raised in Pune, Shreegauri Sawant is a transgender activist from Mumbai. She was one of the petitioners of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) which was filed in 2013, in which the Supreme Court recognized transgender as the third gender with a final verdict in 2014.

Sawant also came to the limelight for her fight for the adoption of rights of transgender people. Sawant adopted Gayatri in 2008. At the age of 16, Sawant started visiting ‘The Humsafar Trust’, which is the oldest LGBTQ organisation in India, where she gained confidence to accept herself as she was. She also founded the NGO Sakhi Char Chowghi Trust in 2000, which provides counselling to transgender people and focuses on promoting safe sex.

The upcoming biopic will shed light on the momentous life of Shreegauri Sawant - from her childhood, her transition, to her contribution to revolutionize the transgender movement in India. Sushmita’s fierce and bold avatar in and as Shreegauri Sawant is sure to create anticipation amongst the audience about the upcoming project. The biopic is created by Arjun Singgh Baran & Kartk D Nishandar, directed by National award-winning director Ravi Jadhav, and produced by Arjun Singgh Baran, Kartk D Nishandar & Afeefa Nadiadwala.