Abhishek Kapoor On Not Casting A Transwoman In 'Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui': 'Fascination Is Incorrect'

Filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor has opened up about the recent controversy regarding film ‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’, in which the filmmaker was criticised for casting actress Vaani Kapoor, instead of a transwoman.

“We went through many avenues and there was a thought about casting a trans person but you know I find everyone is so fascinated just by actors. Why is it that everything is legitimised by an actor? Why can’t a trans person write the film? Why can’t a trans person direct the film? First of all, this fascination is incorrect,” he said in an interview with The Indian Express.

“Films are not made by actors, they are made by filmmakers and writers. Eventually, there is a representation by an individual actor but I try to see above this because there is a story to be told. You have to reach out to people at large by taking the story to them and I thought this is the best way to take this story there. When you talk to someone, you have to talk to them in their language,” added the filmmaker.

Kapoor’s comments came after the filmmaker was criticised on social media for not casting a transwoman in the film. In the interview, the filmmaker also remarked that trans community, has more issues to deal with than just sexual orientation, as is the case for the rest of the groups in the LGBTQ+ community.

“There is a lot of thought that went into it. The LGBTQ community is put in a group but they are very different. LGB is one thing, but T is something totally different. When we talk about lesbian, gay and bisexual, it is about what kind of sexual preferences you have, who do you get attracted to,” he said.

“When you talk about the trans community, it is not like that at all. It is a very serious inner turmoil that the community goes through and when I started this research, I realised that this is far more difficult for people to even comprehend."