Escaping Agra

Available Summary:

In Escaping Agra we meet Naveen Bhat, a non-binary UC Davis college student held against their will in India when their gender identity is discovered. Naveen must battle their parents in court and piece their life back together, in this short documentary about self-discovery and perseverance.

-Frameline.

Jack's Summary:

In this short documentary, Naveen Bhat talks about their journey and hardships.

From the age of three, Naveen lived in America. A few weeks after their mother discovered that they were trans, they were contacted by their family in India and told that their grandmother was sick. In actuality, their family wanted them to travel to India so that they could be "fixed". Once Naveen arrived, their family confiscated their phone, computer, and travel documents, effectively imprisoning them in India. They were expected to live as a woman, adhere to traditional expectations, and enter an arranged marriage.

Naveen discusses enduring physical and emotional abuse from their family, particularly their mother, and eventually fleeing India with the assistance of Indian LGBT+ activists and their partner's family in America. In parts, this short documentary is confronting... But it's also very sweet, with Madi (Naveen's partner) and Madi's parents sheltering Naveen in the USA. It's clear that Madi's parents don't entirely understand Naveen's non-binary identity, but they hug Naveen and insist on protecting them regardless.

Justice Vikramajit Sen, of the Supreme Court of India, speaks firmly and positively about the human rights of trans people, which I very much enjoyed.

Rituparna Borah, a queer feminist activist in New Delhi, refers to Naveen with he/him/his pronouns while discussing evacuating Naveen from India. In this 2015 article, and in other sources, Naveen identifies themself with he/him/his, so it is possible that Borah is not intentionally misgendering them, but rather, does not know that their pronouns are different nowadays.

In a touching moment, Naveen reacts with a delighted smile when they receive their first testosterone shot. Their partner is sitting next to them, a hand on their shoulder, supporting them while the nurse explains how a testosterone injection works. Overall, this is a very important and touching short film.

This film was previously available on Vimeo, but has been taken down since I watched it there.