Ashish Aryan is developing a film about trans man who became parent

Director of Kanpuriye, Ashish Aryan, is all set to write and direct a film based on the recent news of a trans man's pregnancy and childbirth in Kerala. The director went to Kerala and stayed with the couple for a few weeks, to learn about their journey. 

A transgender couple living in Kozhikode, Sahad and Ziya Paval started their process of gender transition two years ago. Sahad paused the process of becoming a trans man midway, early last year, to first become a parent. 

After understanding their life, world and story, Ashish Aryan has taken rights from them to make the tentatively untitled film on the topic. 

In a conversation with IANS, the filmmaker said, "Back in 2021 when writer Swati Jha came up with the story of male pregnancy, it blew my mind and I instantly jumped on the project. Since it's a rare global phenomenon it was difficult for people to understand here. But after working for two years, we got to know about this couple from Kerala who became parents recently where the father successfully delivered a child."

He further mentioned, "We met them in Calicut and it was an instant connection between us and the entire family. We bonded really well and I can say it's a beautiful Indian love story of Sahad and Ziya that we want to take to the global audience. Despite many challenges right from their childhood, it's a story about the triumph of love over social stigma. We have acquired the official rights of the story and are currently developing it into a feature-length film."