When Sonia was born in 2002, the nurse told her mother Shivarajamma that she had delivered an American girl! “My uncle and parents were so happy, they distributed sweets in the entire hospital in Bengaluru. In the next few days I was treated for a skin condition, and my parents were told that I was an Albino, a no-melanin condition of pigmentation,” says Sonia Srinivasa, the 17-year-old who is doing her II PUC at St Benedict’s Academy at Anchapalya.
Till the time she went to school, Sonia never realised anything, nor did anybody show discrimination at home. “The large joint family that I grew up in Kengeri was soaked in abundant love,” she says. The teenager went on to win the Vidya Sagara Bala Puraskara Award instituted by Sandhya Sahitya Vedika in Uttara Karnataka for her book Mikka Bannada Hakki (Bird with remnant colours) an autobiography that traces the ups-and-downs of her own life.
“Being an albino is not easy. Some would stare at me as if I was an alien. Some classmates often ran away, not wanting to have lunch with me. Some have even called me a devil. I had even contemplated suicide. But my supportive family helped me get back on the rails. Later I luckily chanced upon many sympathetic people who pumped confidence. They advised me on leaning towards the positives, rather than getting drowned in the negatives,” says Sonia who in 2017, as a 15-year-old, made it to the India Book of Records for her book being the youngest Kannada autobiography.
The book that mirrored her life
Mikka Bannada Hakki brought her in contact with many who appreciated her efforts to pen her story. Her sensitive portrayal of the ups and downs of her life, and her delicate way of handling her emotions were discussed in public events. Sonia has often addresses schools for having discussions. “I was interviewed on TV and I was happy that film maker Prithvi Konanur met me and told me that my story was an inspiration worth sharing it on screen.”
But there was another development. A child actor Manohar K, now a II PUC student of National College, who has acted in Konanur’s films and won a State Award for his acting in Railway Children , expressed interest for directing a Children’s movie based on Sonia’s book Mikka Bannada Hakki. “I will start my direction with this movie,” says Manohar, moved by the book. “Sonia and me decided we will work on the script together, and we are into finalising it. As our annual exams get over in April 2020, we will take up the shooting as producers have expressed interest,” says Manohar. And the heroine? “Yes, we are indeed looking for a young girl with albinism,” says Manohar who is happy that he could meet Sonia through Konanur.
And how does Sonia find the world now? “Post my book release I have been seeing the other side of people too. I was witness to my classmates fighting with teachers in disbelief to see me score 100 per cent in Chemistry. Now I see many come back to say sorry. But I do not hold any grudge. I have to evaluate and not get judgemental,” says Sonia adding that her writing started when she was in the 7th Std when she had penned a 50-page story Padma Jeevana, of a girl who transforms her troubles into success.
Speaking of her ‘different childhood’ that generally had her indoors as even little exposure to the sun had left her tired and dizzy, Sonia says, she has never been bitter seeing girls of her age play outdoors, but remembered feeling helpless. “Apart from my family who has stood by me, my life would be incomplete without Godfathers like my Math teacher Clarance Bernard and Prof. Tha. Sri. Gururaj of the Regional Institute of English Training who have personally ushered me into a new world of optimism.
And what does Sonia dream? “I want to have good education, meet people and do something more for society. More important is that today, I have started loving the imperfections of life and have a better acceptance of them.”
