Actor-producer and social activist Trupti Bhoir cries while recalling the difficult experience of playing the role of Paro (which means a bride slave) in her Hindi film. Paro. Recalling the long journey she made with her NGO, Shelter Foundation, to shed light on this ‘cancer’ in the heart of India, she says, “But my tears pale in comparison to the horror that the real victims have to go through.”
ParoDirected by Gajendra Ahire, it is an unflinching look at the lives of the Paros, an oppressed class of women who are sold or turned into chattel by men, to become domestic slaves with no rights, or, as a panchayat leader says in the film, no existence at all. This is a practice prevalent in the districts of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. These women are expected to perform all the duties of a man at home and in bed. They raise the babies, but have no claims on them, and can be sold whenever the owner feels like it. One wonders how this is different from sex work. “Sex workers at least have the right to earn for themselves or be recognized by the society,” explains Trupti. “This is slavery, and as the film says, although victims are legally protected by the Trafficking Persons (Prevention and Rehabilitation) Bill 2016, much work remains to be done to reduce this abhorrent practice. This is especially so due to specific unclear demographics and lack of awareness.
Trupti Bhoir in a scene from ‘Paro’ Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Starring Taha Shah Badusha, Gajendra’s 100-minute film tells the story of Chand (Trupti), who is sold from one man to another like cattle, and has to face unspeakable hardships. A film that will keep you up at night, Paro Interestingly, it does not depict only social evil. It also shines a torch on the light that exists at the end of the tunnel for these women – one that keeps them alive and one that hopefully brings warriors like Trupti closer to their reality.
Trupti believes in using the medium of filmmaking to raise voice on social threats. His previous film, Touring TalkiesDue to the fading culture of touring theatres, a law was removed which stated that such touring talkies could only play in villages with less than 50,000 people. Tripti got to make seeds Paro Documentary films that feature international news media, Al Jazeera And BBCMade about bride slavery in India. “I was shocked. I did the research and understood it was real, but I had to see it with my own eyes.” Trupti then decided to venture to the Mewat district of Haryana, where more than 60,000 Paros live (according to the makers, there are more than 1,30,000 Paro or Molki brides in India).
But entering Mewat is not an easy task. “Only here will you find signs that say ‘You will find gold bricks for sale’ because that is the gold they have looted from people.” Someone even told Trupti that if a person commits 100 murders, he will end up in Mewat. “Because no one can find you. If the police had to enter Mewat for any reason, they would go in groups of 20 or 30.”
And so, Trupti sought the help of an NGO that wanted to remain anonymous. “The person who helped me said there was only so much they could do for Paros. They said they could only push a little bit but it was up to Paros to run and fight his way.” Trupti was instructed to present herself as a journalist in Mewat, because “she knew that through journalism for NGOs they get relief money and clothes.” Trupti and her mother along with some members of the NGO visited 10 villages. “Only when I met Paros and heard the story did I realize the harsh reality they were living in.”
Trupti Bhoir at the 78th Annual Cannes Film Festival Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“I asked a man why that was, and his answer was, ‘This is a place where everyone is doing paro. So to marry someone, I have to give them dowry, and then if anything happened, his entire family would be at my house, ready to cut me into pieces. But if I have a paro, a maximum of Rs 15,000, a wife, I can cut her into pieces, and no one would dare question me.'” His answer Tripti says she realized that poverty and gender imbalance were behind this monstrous practice. “For men here, it is almost a matter of pride. To be a ‘man’ you have to behave like this. I noticed that many men above 70 years of age remain unmarried, and they prefer to have young girls as Paros.”
Through Shelter Foundation, Trupti and Sheetal Nikam are working for the well-being of people living in the most remote places of India. After learning about Paros he started collecting data. “Data collection is important because numbers add up to pressure. We went to Mewat and spent 12 days collecting data from about 4,000 women.” What was shocking for Trupti was that most of these women were from other states like Assam, Orissa, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Gujarat. Trupti explains, “Name any state in India, you will find a slave bride there in Mewat. They may have reached there by different means. Sometimes, a lover may have cheated and sold her; sometimes, a poor father and mother will believe that they have married off their daughter well. Some may have been kidnapped. We realized that there is a network that is at work, especially in Delhi; the most beautiful girls they find are forced to have sex. are sold for work, while others become Paros.”
Shelter Foundation has been helping Paros obtain Aadhaar cards for the last three years. “Most of them either did not have an Aadhaar card or had an Aadhaar card from the state of origin where they come from. If I have the proper identity cards, I can tell the government that they exist.”
Trupti has partnered with women worker cooperative Lijjat Papad for this purpose. “They are now planning to set up a papad factory which will help these women earn livelihood.” Although she cannot prevent them from marrying in the first place, she is confident that she can prevent them from being sold again. “What I can do is empower them. If a woman earns at least Rs 10,000 a month, she will be respected, and she will give her children a good future.” It is surprising to hear that each leg has more than six to eight children. “Some have more than 10. And you can find these children everywhere in Mewat. This is the future of our country we are talking about.”
Armed with data collected on the ground, Trupti is trying to get the government’s attention. “I contacted India’s Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi, but she has not yet responded to us.”
She then contacted National Commission for Women chairperson Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar, who according to her was shocked by the fact that Trupti had managed to enter Mewat and even collect data. “She then allowed us to be part of a meeting. I realized this was my one chance, but I knew I shouldn’t talk; victims should talk. So I took two paros, and they spoke for their sisters. This was in the presence of all the representatives of the National Commission for Women from each state. She said, ‘When we make some new law, it will take time. But your efforts will be successful.'” Tripti is glad her voice has reached the authorities. “I have also written a letter to PM Narendra Modi ji. I am waiting for the answer. I have faith in our government to do something about these women.”
But not only this. To reach out to the masses, Trupti created Paro With Gajendra. “We shot the film in less than 16 days in Lucknow, Jodhpur, Agra, Chamba and parts of Pune.” The makers were conscious to ensure that people did not mistake this as a role for religion in the practice, especially since Mewat has a majority Muslim population. “Humanity is the religion that needs to be saved here. Also, people need to understand that Hindus are also doing the same. So, it is not about religion; it is a practice that is being followed.”
To design the lead character, Chand, Gajendra and Trupti took inspiration from a 15-year-old Paro woman they met. “When she was 12, she was married to an older man, had a child with him, and after he died, she was once again sold to another man. There, she was made to work hard in the fields and would only ask for some food. One day, the man became irritated, took her out of the house, filled her mouth with mud and forced her to eat it before breaking her jaw. She used to sing well and speak well, but now she “Can’t talk properly.” In the film, Chand’s tongue is cut off to prevent him from speaking up for his rights. “It was also symbolic, because these women can speak, but their voices are not valued.”
Trupti Bhoir at Chicago South Asian Film Festival
Beautifully shot by composer Satish Chakraborty and with an extraordinary aural visual appeal, Paro Now included in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ list of 201 feature films eligible to compete for the Best Picture award at the Oscars 2026. The film was screened at Bollywood Festival Norway 2025, Chicago South Asian Film Festival, Los Angeles Tribune International Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival and LA Fashion Week. However, it is unknown when the film will be released in India as the Central Board of Film Certification has not yet certified it.
“A minister asked me, ‘Why are you showing our country in a bad light?’ I said, ‘Sir, this is happening all over the world, in China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Pakistan, North Korea, Mexico, Canada, America and parts of Russia. Last year, I was a speaker at the United Nations and I realized this was a universal problem. According to National Human Trafficking Awareness Day 2023 data, an estimated 2,25,000 people worldwide become victims of human trafficking every year. I want India to be the first country that has the courage to point out what we are doing wrong and to reduce it.