Siddhant Sarin’s documentary, ‘Ayena’ to be screened in Bengaluru

Siddhant Sarin’s documentary, ‘Ayena’ to be screened in Bengaluru

While we use makeup to hide our flaws, acid survivor Ritu Saini says: “Please don’t hide my scars with make up”. That hits you hard. This is a scene from a heart-wrenching debut documentary film Ayena (Mirror), directed by short film maker Siddhant Sarin.

“The film reflects upon the effects of a momentary act of revenge that transforms the lives of two women, Ritu Saini and Faraha Khan forever,” says Siddhant over the phone from Jaipur, where he is conducting a filmmaking workshop. “After surviving the acid attack , they carry the scars of human brutality on their bodies. They face the challenge of navigating a sea of odd currents everyday, besides curious stares from people.”

Ritu’s scars also brought her fame, says Siddhant, an alumnus of Docnomads, DFFB (German Film & Television Academy, Berlin) and FAMU (Film & TV School of Performing Arts, Prague). “She occasionally finds herself talking on television, modelling and even featuring in a Hindi film.”

The 70-minute film in Urdu and Hindi with English subtitles, Siddhant says, was five years in the making. “I did not think I would make a film on acid survivors. I read about them and their struggles and also found them on social media platforms. What struck me most about their posts were the happy pictures they posted. Their videos were filled with joy and laughter.”

That was when Siddhant decided to meet them and make a documentary to capture their life, work and their blending into the society post the trauma. The survivors were working in a restaurant called Sheroes, that works for the rehabilitation of acid survivors, in Agra, Lucknow and Noida.

“I went to Agra. Ritu and Faraha were the first two I met. We instantly connected and a beautiful bond of trust and friendship was born, which is what I hope the viewer will also see and experience while watching the film.”

A lawyer, Siddhant gave up his practice to become a filmmaker. “Even while practicing law, I felt disconnected with the profession and started dabbling in ad films, short films and finally plunged into studying the craft of filmmaking itself”.