After the success of his first documentary film on autism spectrum disorder, titled In Our World, director Shred Shreedhar has launched his second film on another heavy topic - human trafficking. Reena Ki Kahani brings the real-life story of a trafficked woman, the horrors of the appalling trade and intends to inspire viewers to fight back against these practices. The film was dropped on World Human Rights Day earlier this month.
“The narratives of captivity, the horrors of this illegal trade and the courageous story of Reena inspired me to do an animated film on her in order to not only bring to light the evils of human trafficking but also raise awareness of what can be done to prevent it or help someone come out of it,” says Trivandrum-based Shreedhar who has over two decades of experience in the entertainment industry.
Reena Ki Kahani is a story that spells hope; that there is a way out and there is a life after being rescued. Shreedhar didn’t want to restrict the film to the adult audiences and hence chose the medium of animation to reach out to children as well. Shreedhar, 53, tells us, “An animated film makes a difficult topic like human trafficking palatable for all so that the message reaches adults, children and caregivers alike. The format of animation is visually appealing to children, and I wanted this film to reach them as well so they can understand the horrors that exist around us without getting intimidated.”
After two back-to-back documentaries, Shreedhar is working on a Malayalam feature film at the moment.