MUMBAI: Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin actor Aiman Kalia might be new to the industry, but that did not stop him from stepping out of his comfort zone and playing the role of a transgender in the short film Kaina, which won Best Short Film at the Los Angeles Film Awards 2024. His character was called Sahoj, and the actor ensured that he embodied the character perfectly.
Talking about the preparation that went for the character, he said, "When our auditions were over and I got selected, my director, Aaryaveer Singh, told me, 'Let’s do a look test and then see how we can take it ahead,' so our look test began. I got dressed up in a saree, wore a wig, got my makeup done, and when I saw myself, I couldn’t even recognise myself. That’s when I felt like, 'Wow, I can actually play the character of a transgender person properly,' because I had finally achieved the right look. That was the first step, and from there, my preparation really started."
"I watched a few films about transgender people, observed them a lot, and even my director and I went to a community where they live. We saw their lifestyle, how they live, talked to them, learnt about their life histories, and observed their behaviour, the way they talk," he added.
In fact, he would strike up conversations with any transgender individuals he encountered just so that he could understand whether the transgender person is real or fake. He said, "Because the people you often see, maybe at traffic lights or other places, aren’t always true representations of the community. A lot of times, they are men who have changed their appearance. I was able to identify who was real and who was fake."
Aiman confessed that there was a fear of acceptance when he first came out in the character. He said, "There’s always that fear, like, what if people start making fun of you? Or what if they don’t take you seriously? That fear was real. But when I truly stepped into the character and embraced it, I don’t know how, but something inside me changed. Suddenly, I started feeling like Sahoj, and the hesitation just disappeared on its own."
"I was just walking around the campus wearing a saree, a wig, and the full outfit. I kept walking around, letting people see me so that it would start feeling normal, both for them and for me. I wanted to observe how people look at a transgender person, how they perceive them as a human being. I wanted to experience that perspective firsthand. That’s why I stepped out in character, roamed around, and slowly, that hesitation started fading away. I really began to own that transformation and embody the role completely," he added.
He also mentioned that though the character was very complex and, of course, there was an excitement of playing it, there was a fear of playing it with the right authenticity.
He said, "It felt like a huge responsibility to represent them properly, without exaggeration or stereotyping. A lot of times, people mock or misrepresent transgender individuals, and I knew I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to play this character in their true essence, as they really are. That’s why I was excited, but also determined to put in even more effort."
"Slowly, as I prepared, I started breaking down this complex character, studying their attributes, their mannerisms, their emotions, and really tried to immerse myself into every detail to portray them as truthfully as possible," he added.
Aiman also addressed the fact that transgenders are often misunderstood in society and said that it became his responsibility to play this character so well that it comes across in the right way to everyone who’s watching.
He said, "The kind of misinterpretations people have about them, the image society holds, like how we judge them, thinking they only have two or three kinds of work and do nothing beyond that. We assume they only beg or go out on the streets. There’s so much misunderstanding about this community. So my idea was to play this role so well that when I’m playing Sahoj, none of those stereotypes should come across. Sahoj should appear exactly as they truly are."
He also did a lot of research to portray and said, "I watched a tonne of videos, more than documentaries; I focused on real-life video clips available online. I specifically watched videos from different cities in India, where transgender people visit homes to give blessings, like when a child is born or there’s a happy occasion. They dance, celebrate, and their unique expressions and behaviour really stood out in those videos."
"Through these small clips, I started noticing the subtle details, how they talk, how they express themselves, and their body language. I realised that the way they speak to each other is very different from how they speak to outsiders; this difference was something I observed closely. Apart from videos, I spent a lot of time meeting transgender people in real life. I observed them, had conversations with them, and tried to understand their perspectives, their emotions, and their experiences. That’s what really helped me break down the character and shape my performance in the most authentic and respectful way," he added.
And he couldn't be more proud when the movie won the Best Short Film at the Los Angeles Film Awards 2024. He said, "Besides that, the film went on to win at so many other prestigious festivals like Rameshwaram International Film Festival 2024, Indo Dubai International Film Festival 2024, Crown wood International Film festival, Indian Independent Film Festival 2024, the World Film Festival at Cannes, the New York Film Awards, and many others. Seeing the film receive so much recognition and so many awards made me truly happy. What made me even prouder was that this is a film about the kinnar and transgender community, and it was given such a high level of respect and acknowledgement. That meant a lot to me."
"I was thrilled with everyone’s work on the project; we all collaborated so well and stayed true to the story, and I think that’s why the end result was so powerful and authentic. I’d give so much of the credit to my director, Aaryaveer Siingh, and our DOP Rambo Kherwal, who was also the associate director on this film. The way they conducted sessions with us and made us believe so deeply in the story is the reason the film turned out so well. It was truly a result of everyone’s dedication and teamwork," Aiman ended.
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