In 2021, Mimi explored the subject of surrogacy, even earning Kriti Sanon the National Award for her performance. So, one might think that Siddharth-Garima’s upcoming directorial venture  Dukaan, which takes a look at commercial surrogacy, runs the risk of not bringing anything novel to the screen. 

The thought initially worried them, admits Siddharth. “But Mimi was a glamourized take on the subject. It didn’t touch upon commercial surrogacy at all,” he says.

Garima was confident that a lot was left to be said on the subject. “There were three Bhagat Singh movies [in a year], and there is a love story every year,” she says, noting that the treatment makes a world of difference.

Dukaan, starring Monika Panwar and Sikandar Kher, not only looks at the commercial side of surrogacy, but also talks about a woman’s agency over her body.

Siddharth elaborates, “The government wants to ban surrogacy and take away a woman’s fundamental right to do what she wants with her body. It’s her call if she wants to sell her womb. There needs to be regularized rights of a surrogate. These are daily-wage earners whose lifestyles change with one surrogacy. There are rules to [the practice]; the surrogate doesn’t fall in love with the kid each time.”

The filmmakers, who previously wrote Ram-Leela (2013) and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017), are hosting a special screening  on April 3 for Gujarat-based women who have been surrogates. 

Garima shares, “These are 100 women whom we met during our research. They have told us their story. I hope they see themselves in Dukaan.”