The Shocking Child Trafficking Stories Which Dear Men, Starring Sayani Gupta, Brings To Light (Exclusive)

Keith Gomes

Q. What made you make Dear Men? When did the idea first originate?

A. I was researching during COVID about making a documentary on our tribe that celebrates children, especially the girl child, primarily because when she hits puberty, her parents sell her off to the highest bidder. It’s quite heartbreaking. Dipesh has been doing a lot of work over the years protecting women and rescuing children. So I spoke to him. He’s a very old friend. We discussed the idea of traveling through the North, discovering stories, and figuring out the way forward. During those discussions, he told me about his rescue stories and the risks he faces.

So the idea hit me about the story. We continued discussing it for the next year because I had to figure out how to tell the story without going wrong anywhere. I researched a lot and spoke to many organizations, who have been credited at the end of the film. Since there are many layers of child trafficking, rehabilitation, and the fact that these girls cannot go back to their cities, we decided to tell a fictional tale.

Q. What obstacles did you face while making the film?

A. The biggest obstacle is money because when you are making a short film, there’s no return on investment. My friends came forward to give me some money, and I put in a lot of my own. That’s the biggest challenge. All the technicians are international, and some of India’s top talent worked on the film. They did it out of love. We spent a lot on the film, and I make these films not to sell them but mainly to put them out on YouTube free for the world to watch. So yes, there’s no return on investment.