The enormity of human trafficking and the travails of the victims is what Hollywood actor Seirah Royin’s latest film is about.
Set to be released in early 2015 in India, Ms. Royin was in Mysuru to catch up with friends and relatives. In an interaction with The Hindu , she talked about Sold , based on the eponymous book by Patricia McCormick, which recently had a premiere at the Abu Dhabi film festival.
The film is about the travails of a 13-year-old girl who is a victim of human trafficking. From Nepal, she ends up in the red light district of Kolkata. It brings out the child’s experience in a brothel and what trafficking does to her.
“To do justice to my role as an NGO worker and empathise with the victim, I visited Kamathipura, the red-light district of Mumbai, where men leered at me and touched me. I realised the plight of the victims of human trafficking,” said Ms. Royin, who has also been in the films Arizona Seaside and Cattle Call to name a few.
Sold , directed by Academy Award winner Jeffery D. Brown and executive produced by Emma Thompson, also features Gillian Anderson and Seema Biswas. “I was aware of the prevalence of human trafficking, but not to the extent that it is in reality,” said Ms. Royin, who is an international ambassador for Childreach International.
Ms. Royin is the granddaughter of S. Ramaswamy, one of the founders of the National Institute of Engineering (NIE).
Her father, Murari Rao, a civil engineering graduate from NIE, worked at Vani Vilas Water Works before leaving for the U.S.
Ms. Royin is the niece of S.K. Lakshminarayan, who is on the board of directors of NIE.
“Hollywood is image driven, but when I see Mysuru I find it more grounded in reality and it is beautiful and pure,” she said, confessing that she has an idealistic view of India.
