Ajitesh Sharma’s documentary film W.O.M.B to open Indian film fest of Melbourne

Ajitesh Sharma’s documentary film W.O.M.B (Women Of My Billion) has been selected as the opening night film of the 12th Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne (IFFM).

This year’s IFFM will take place both physically and virtually, with the physical festival running from August 12-20 while the digital edition will run from August 15-30.

W.O.M.B is the story of Srishti Bakshi, a young woman who embarks on a monumental journey, walking almost 4,000km over 240 days, from Kanyakumari in the south to Kashmir in the north.

Along the way, she meets and learns about the experiences of many women from all corners of India.

Bakshi is the founder of CrossBow, a social enterprise for empowering women. Speaking about the documentary and her mission, she said, “Violence against women and girls is a human rights violation. And since the outbreak of Covid-19, and subsequent lockdown, emerging data has shown that violence against women and girls has intensified. In this documentary we have celebrated women who’ve shown extraordinary courage to rise above their limitations and challenge the deeply entrenched gender norms.”