By Manasi Nene
The Vicks ad that came out recently got us pretty excited. By showing a transwoman in an ordinary light, as opposed to her whole identity revolving around her gender and the expression of her gender, Vicks did something that’s pretty radical for today.
And the afterlife? Not much changed institutionally for transgender rights in India, but it did become an easier topic of discussion. After a few articles about her personal life, the actress Gauri Sawant seemed to drop out of the media gaze, but now she’s back – this time, not for an advertisement, but a commendable personal project.
Via Milaap, a crowdfunding platform, Sawant is trying to raise funds to build a home for the children of sex workers in Mumbai. This issue is close to Sawant’s own heart – the narrative in the Vicks ad is based on a true story, where her daughter would have been sold to an agent had Sawant not intervened.
According to The Better Indian, the place will be called Nani Ka Ghar – grandmother’s home. With only a fraction of her goal achieved, and only a week left to complete it, Sawant’s crowdfunding page can be found here.