{
  "id": 5893349,
  "title": "Rahul Roye’s ‘Aman’ Selected For TIFF 2026, Puts Trans Masculinity And Pregnancy In Focus",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/rahul-royes-aman-selected-for-tiff-2026-puts-trans-masculinity-and",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-06T03:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/lifestyle/rahul-royes-aman-selected-for-tiff-2026-puts-trans-masculinity-and-pregnancy-in-focus"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Rahul Roye's short film Aman has been chosen for the Short Cuts program at the 2026 Toronto Film Festival. The film, co-written with nonbinary filmmaker Elle León, explores the life of a trans man discovering he is pregnant, delving into themes of identity, masculinity, and fatherhood. Rahul Roye, the filmmaker, explained that the film was born from his own discomfort with the colonial, heteronormative gender binary.\n\nThe intimacy of the film's portrayal aims to challenge simplistic categorizations and celebrate individual freedom. By casting transgender activists Kabir Maan and Sirat Taneja, Roye ensured that the film's narrative was rooted in lived experience. Their activism provided a political context, while their personal journeys brought authenticity and detail to the story.\n\nAman's pregnancy, Roye argued, reveals the fragility of gender definitions. It questions what constitutes masculinity and forces viewers to reconsider the foundations of gender roles. The film also touches on the accessibility of healthcare for transgender individuals, a concern that is particularly pronounced for transmasculine people in India.\n\nThe film's release comes at a time when the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026, has narrowed the legal definition of transgender individuals, removing express categories and rights previously afforded. Aman, Roye believes, underscores the limitations of such categorisation. The production team, consisting of queer-affirming individuals, further ensured the film's inclusive and sensitive portrayal.",
  "summary": "Rahul Roye's short film Aman, starring transgender activists Kabir Maan and Sirat Taneja, has been selected for the Short Cuts programme of the 2026 Toronto Film Festival, which runs from September 10 to 20. Co-written with nonbinary filmmaker Elle León (Nostas), the film follows a trans man who discovers he is pregnant, forcing a profound reckoning with identity, masculinity, and fatherhood. For…",
  "key_points": [
    "\"Aman\" selected for TIFF 2026 Short Cuts program",
    "Trans masculinity and pregnancy explored in film",
    "Filmed based on personal experiences of trans activists"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Rahul Roye's film Aman, selected for TIFF 2026, challenges traditional notions of masculinity and highlights the healthcare struggles of transmasculine individuals in India, amidst a narrowing legal definition of transgender rights.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}