Taali creators speak on casting Sushmita Sen instead of trans actor in lead role

The muchawaited series Taali featuring exMiss Universe Sushmita Sen playing the role of a trans woman Shreegauri Sawant has been stirring up buzz on the internet for quite some time The shows creators Arjun Singgh Baran and Kartk Nishandarshared their exhilarating experience of bringing this extraordinary narrative to life in an interview with Hindustan TimesIn the months leading to the show they maintained a tightlipped approach releasing only a single poster of Sushmita followed by a welltimed break before releasing the teaser and the trailer The audiences overwhelming response to the teaser came as a pleasant surprise exceeding the creators expectations The response to the teaser has been mindblowing The positive response was unexpected they saidSushmita Sen was the teams unanimous first choice for the protagonists role The actress took six months to soak in the script and the essence of her character reflecting her meticulous approach and commitment to perfection Her dedication to understanding the story and character raised many questions amongst the creators leading them to ponder whether she would accept the role However her subsequent decision to come on board put their concerns to restDuring the shows conception Sushmita was the face they envisioned for the character of Shreegauri Sawant When they shared this idea with Shreegauri herself her excitement was palpable When we were writing also we thought what if Sushmita plays this role We have seen male actors playing transgender Shreegauri is a beautiful woman We thought of getting another male actor to play Gauri but it wasnrsquot going well One of the most beautiful who is intelligent and also respectedndashSushmita was it the creators saidOnce they pitched the idea to Sushmita they didnt approach any other actor The actress thoroughly immersed herself in the project replying to their messages asking questions and investing her time and energy into understanding the character Embodying a transgender woman was a brave choice requiring two hours of makeup every day without prosthetics to give her the desired lookCreating a believable portrayal of a trans character is a delicate task requiring careful attention to detail The creators undertook exhaustive research to ensure authenticity even in the smallest aspects such as the way Sushmitas character would walk They engaged in intensive training programs and held interactions with trans individuals some of whom were also cast in the show Their insights helped in accurately representing the transgender communitys experiences rituals and conversion processThe creators chose Shreegauris story to shed light on the struggles and lack of recognition faced by the transgender community They aimed to tell a human story aiming for an authentic representation of the community rather than stereotypical overthetop portrayals Their intention was to create content that audiences worldwide would appreciate telling a positive and motivational storyWhile casting Sushmita as the lead garnered much support the Taali them has also faced criticism and ire for not casting a trans actor in the lead role In explaining their decision the creators said that having a wellknown face like Sushmita was necessary to draw global attention to their story They emphasized their commitment to inclusivity by highlighting the casting of 2200 trans actors in various roles within the show However for the shows commercial success they needed a renowned face like Sushmita for the leadWe had to have someone like Sushmita because we are not making a documentary Itrsquos a story and we had to get someone people know and would travel the boundary for It had to be someone exclusive who the world knows Thats the reason SushmitaItrsquos not that we havenrsquot cast trans people in the rest of the roles you can see it in the show Her whole team was from the community from junior actors to others But someone to portray Gauri had to be Sushmita We made a commercial show We are more than happy to cast a trans actor as a male or female in futureThe creators aspire to bring the stories and struggles of the transgender community to mainstream media By casting a recognized actor like Sushmita they hope to command global attention and inspire change in the perception and treatment of the transgender community in India and beyondThe main thing is how can we as creators sell the story and get the whole world to watch it This is why we have Sushmita But we were very clear that we want to have trans actors too They all have done a fabulous job in the show You will find these questions all the timeOur main aim is to tell the story of Gauri and get the community to the mainstream How you do it is to get a big actor Nowhere except in India trans people have to clap They have always been sidelined and itrsquos sad Our show aims to bring change