On the lines of ‘Mardaani’, ‘Stolen Innocence’.
By The American Bazaar Staff
MUMBAI: “Dhani Ka Digicam”, a new film by director Sourabh Vyas, and produced by Dr. Jaishree Manchanda, focuses on one of the biggest evils pervading India today: sex trafficking of children, which has become a theme being explored in Bollywood with feature films like ‘Mardaani’ and as documentaries like ‘Stolen Innocence’.
The story revolves around Dhani, a deaf and dumb 13-year-old girl in a village near Bharatpur in Rajasthan, who is sold as a prostitute on a highway near her house.Teenage artist Priyanka Sharma plays the role of Dhani.
According to a press release, the film is based on a true story. In India, there are some 1.2 million children in the sex trafficking industry. More than 40,000 children are abducted every year, and many of them are forced to become prostitutes within and outside the country. India has also the shameful distinction of being home to 90 percent of all trafficked prostitutes globally.
Vyas uses a digital handy camera to film scenes for Dhani Ka Digicam, including in the red light areas of Mumbai, as well as scenes shot in daytime, to give a real feel to the audience.
“This film is based on true incidents; that’s why we have filmed it in a very realistic approach. Our characters are so real that you may initially think it’s a documentary. But we have maintained entertainment value,” said Vyas in a statement.
Manchanda said in a statement, “I always wanted to produce a film. I think this is the right film to start with. It has a very fresh story. And I am sure people will love camera work of this film’ it is very different. And the important thing is, it deals with child trafficking. I am very happy that I am part of this important film.”