9. Juli 2026

Dr. Lesley Branagan will be presenting a screening of her documentary film

Bride of Aravan

Directors: Lesley Branagan & Yatra Srinivassan

50mins, Tamil with English subtitles

Room 220, (ESA West), 4-5 pm (s.t) on 9 July.

Bride of Aravan follows Bawadharini, a transgender woman in South India, as she navigates the joys, grief, and challenges of life in a prejudiced society. Once a year, her community celebrates a vibrant two-day festival in which they ceremonially marry the warrior god Aravan—an ancient ritual drawn from the Mahabharata epic in which Aravan consents to die in battle only after becoming married. To fulfill his wish, Krishna takes the female form of Mohini to become his bride for one night. Revered as akin to goddess Mohini for one day, the trans women experience a stark inversion of their prejudice that marks their daily life. Drawing mythic performance, revelry and collective mourning into a textured story-world, the film explores the fragile space where ritual and identity converge, to enable expressions of grief, dignity, belonging and transcendence. 

Teaser: https://youtu.be/5LvQ708eBUA 

https://lesleybranagan.com/bride-of-aravan/