When Sushmita Sen adopted her first daughter, Renee, in 2010, she said, “She’s not born from my stomach but from my heart.” And that’s one of the many points where Sushmita and transgender activist Shreegauri Sawant, who she stupendously plays in Taali, coincide and become one. While we don’t get to learn much about Shreegauri’s battle for adoptive rights, one cannot stop but keep smiling about the duo being totally ‘bindaas’ and ‘badass’ as they moved top courts for bagging adoptive rights and then mothering children. In one scene in Taali, a little girl puts a paper crown on Shreegauri’s head and her friend asks her the first thing she will do if she becomes a Miss Universe. To this, Sushmita or Shreegauri takes us back to that iconic moment when the former was crowned, that was preceded by her iconic reaction of a big gaped mouth and twinkling eyes.
Taali constantly keeps blurring the lines between the beings of its subject Shreegauri and its vessel Sushmita. There’s not even a single moment that makes you question the makers’ casting choice. In fact, it goes on to prove that if there’s anyone who could play the powerful transgender champion, it is Sushmita herself, inarguably.
The series begins with Ganesh in a classroom, fidgeting as a teacher enlightens her students on a career aptitude test. When Ganesh is asked about what he wants to grow up and become, he says that he dreams of becoming a mother someday. And that evidently shakes up the teacher and makes her uncomfortable with the rest of the class laughing at him. But Ganesh remains undeterred. At home, he dresses up as a woman before the mirror and performs lavani at a local function. But his father reacts to his effeminate ways strongly and gets him to promise to never dance like a woman again. But soon, all hell breaks loose after his mother passes away.
We also get a glimpse of Ganesh’s sex reassignment surgery, becoming Gauri and then spreading awareness about transgender rights, which eventually leads her to file a petition in the Supreme Court of India to recognise the third gender as citizens and giving them a legal right, which would enable their inclusion on every official document in India.
Shreegauri’s life is riddled with thorns and struggle for ‘identity, survival and equality’. Hers is a journey for the books. At the same time, it is inspiring, bold and trailblazing. And though the series touches upon all her highs and abysmal lows, it doesn’t do justice to her riveting story of challenging the status quo at every step of her life. In all honesty, yes, there are a handful of moments that will choke you and break your heart. But the screenplay is inconsistently paced. At times, you may find yourself disengaged from the narrative. The writing doesn’t succeed in keeping you hooked throughout its length. But just when it loses lustre, Sushmita and her charismatic performance step in and come to the rescue. Is that enough though?
The show progresses at a rather languorous pace with no high points. The lack of a cliffhanger at the end of each episode (yes, we are aware that it’s not a thriller) might become a deterrent in rendering it a binge-worthy quality. Taali feels more like a docu-series. And while it has its heart in the right place and there are ample moments that make you want to sit up and laud for Shreegauri, the overall narrative lacks nuance. Many instances that could have stirred something within you fizzle out without creating a profound impact. The subtle complexities and intricacies of Shreegauri’s life and the deep friendships she shares aren’t conveyed with effectuality. So, what could have been a moving and emotionally rich account turns into just another story about the road to acceptance.
Sushmita deserves the loudest round of applause for slipping under the skin of Shreegauri with aplomb. She brilliantly grasps her voice, body language, mannerisms and verbal delivery. Even as Ganesh, Sushmita aces it. It’s no cakewalk to play a man. But our Miss Universe proves that there’s nothing she can’t do. She walks the fine line and makes sure that the character of a transgender woman doesn’t border on a caricature. To top that, she brings a little bit of herself to make the part her own. She also brings a lot of grace, strength, dignity and stillness to the table and it is her performance that becomes the beating heart of Taali. In her, one can see the tigress of Aarya and the softness of Miss Chandni. She effortlessly revels in this dichotomy and it is sheer delight watching her light up each frame.
Sheetal Kale who plays Nargis is rather impressive. Her scenes with Shreegauri will stay back with you. Ankur Bhatia plays Navin, a gay activist, but he doesn’t contribute much to the storyline solely due to his under-cooked character. Krutika Deo deserves a special mention for playing young Ganesh with a lot of vulnerability like an experienced artist. She underplays Ganesh’s effeminate traits, gait and instincts, and delivers a class act. Though Taali in an out-and-out fashion belongs to Sushmita, the rest of the cast (most of them from the Marathi film industry) deftly supports her.
Taali might be a slightly underwhelming experience but kudos to the creators, Arjun Singgh Baran and Kartk D Nishandar, and director Ravi Jadhav for bringing the fascinating story of Shreegauri alive. Hers is a life that deserves to travel far and wide. Maybe this was a missed opportunity and the makers could have cast someone from the transgender community to play the protagonist. But give yourself the chance and watch how Sushmita infuses life and spark to the narrative. And this should also be a reminder on why we need an actor and artist like her to headline more and more such stories that need to be told. Because truth be spoken, it takes truckloads of courage and mettle to take up a role as challenging and complex as this.
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