Ismat Chugtai's subjects, freedom of speech, homosexuality, expression of female sexuality are still relevant: Sonal Sehgal

Chandigarh born actress, Sonal Sehgal, who made her Bollywood debut with 'Aashayein', opposite John Abraham, says her role in 'Lihaaf' based on Ismat Chugtai's masterpiece by the same title, was "extremely difficult" to play on screen.
"My character, of Begum Jaan is one of the most layered characters written by the author," says Sonal. She adds, "It is also based on a real person, Ismat’s aunt.It is an extremely difficult character for an actor to bring on screen because you need to be able to incite sympathy for her and at the same time her actions fill you with rage. She is both a victim of her circumstances and a perpetrator of a crime. Ismat Chugtai has so beautifully crafted the nuances of this character."
One of the reasons why Sonal agreed for this project was that "The subjects that Ismat Chugtai writes about – freedom of speech, homosexuality and expression of female sexuality are as relevant today as they were when she first wrote them years ago," says Sonal. She rues, "Our society hasn’t evolved much. We are still fighting the same fights."
The film also featured Anushka Sen. Commenting on working with Anushka, Sonal says, "Anushka is an amazing actor. She was only 16 years old when we shot this film. I was petrified because I had all these scenes with her where I abuse her. She was just a child and could have easily freaked out. But the amazing maturity that she showed in handling those scenes is commendable. She has wisdom beyond her years."
The film was made in 2019 and it travelled for over a year and a half to film festivals. "I have travelled with 'Lihaaf' to almost every major city of the world - from London, Berlin, Mexico, Melbourne. We got great appreciation for it. Ismat Chugtai and Manto’s works are also taught as university syllabus to Literature students in many countries, so the audience who was coming to watch the film was very well versed with the subject. The question answer sessions after these screenings were so enriching," she says.