Filmmaker Statement

This short is about reclaiming Indian dance as a space to explore gender, sexuality and the liminal. As prescriptive gender norms close around Rani at the beauty salon, our protagonist begins to transform into Kali Ma, a beastly God/Goddess referred to as “other” and “unknowable” in Hindu scripture. Kali Ma represents the aspects of Rani that do not conform to their gender. As non-binary people are targeted by the US President, I hope this short serves as a reminder that gender identity as a spectrum has always existed and will continue to exist, whether Federally recognized or not. "Beast" premiered at Tribeca Festival and screened in theaters nationally before Jordan Peele's "Nope." Academy Award-winning writer-director Rayka Zehtabchi served as mentor.