‘Unflinching’ film to expose human trafficking

MUMBAI: Tabrez Noorani, a producer of Slumdog Millionaire, will direct a movie on sex trafficking after encountering victims of the trade in Los Angeles more than 10 years ago.

Love Sonia, which starts filming next week, features actress Freida Pinto, who starred in Slumdog Millionaire, with newcomer Mrunal Thakur in the lead role.

Noorani, whose production credits also include Life of Pi and Eat, Pray, Love, said his introduction to human trafficking was in Los Angeles in 2003, when some girls were found in a container shipped from China. One of the victims was a young Indian girl, he said.

The incident inspired Noorani to work with non-governmental organisations focused on trafficking in Los Angeles, as well as groups in India and Hong Kong. He has participated in several raids of brothels, he said.

He then spent years working on the screenplay. The film, which marks Noorani’s directorial debut, tells the story of Sonia, a young Indian village girl who gets trapped in the global sex trade.

Securing investors was a challenge, he said. “It took a long time. There aren’t many people who want to put money into something like this,” he said.

“There haven’t been a lot of films on trafficking out there because it isn’t such an easy, uplifting story.”

Almost 36 million people are enslaved worldwide – trafficked into brothels, forced into manual labour or even born into servitude, according to the Global Slavery Index. About half – 16 million – are in India.

India is both a destination and a transit country for women and children trafficked into the sex trade. Many are from poor rural areas, lured with the promise of good jobs or marriage. Instead, they end up sold into prostitution in cities such as Mumbai.

“It is an unflinching look at the issue. It’s something you can’t water down,” said David Womark, a producer of Life of Pi, who is producing Noorani’s film.

Actors Paul Dano, Manoj Bajpai and Anupam Kher will also star in Love Sonia. – Reuters

DIRECTOR: Tabrez Noorani.