When mural artist Shanthi Muniswamy was handed a digital camera, the one image she really wanted to capture was that of a bougainvillea, resplendent in the sunrise. For a ‘90s child like her, the flower held the charm, innocence and nostalgia of a bygone Bengaluru.
“I live in Marathahalli and go for a walk every morning on the bridge, which boasts of a gorgeous bougainvillea plant. But right behind it, you can see a skyscraper which is a recent addition and anachronistic to the 90s. So, I woke up at 5 am and waited for the right light to shoot the photo, with a tight focus on the flower and the skyscraper silhouetted in the background,” says Shanthi.
The journey to many such photographs shot by Shanthi and other transgender artists of the Aravani Art Project finds a place in Kathegala Kanive (Valley of Stories), a documentary directed by Vikas Badiger. The 30-minute film is making its international premiere this month at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. Previously, it had bagged the best documentary award at the Madras Independent Film festival.
