Soni is one of the nine films shortlisted for the Oxfam Best Film on gender equality at MAMI 2018. It explores how the policewomen of Delhi react to the rising tide of brutal sexual violence that has constantly put the city under the spotlight.
Director Ivan Ayr says, “Soni is an attempt to understand the rage policewomen feel against the sexual violence in the city, and their responsibility to enforce and uphold the law. They are understandably expected to keep their personal feelings in check. For me, this tussle of emotions was worth exploring.”
The theme for this year’s Oxfam Best Film on gender equality is ‘Cinema Beyond Stereotypes’ and Ayr claims that Soni manages to do that, but as a filmmaker his job is to do a lot more than that. He adds, “Breaking stereotypes isn’t that hard once you’ve established your characters as human beings. The problem is that whenever we try to break one stereotype, we create another. Indian cinema must fight and break stereotypes against itself more than anything else.”
The winner of the Oxfam Best Film on gender equality Award 2018 at MAMI for this year will be announced on November 1st, 2018- on the closing night of the festival.
