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Rahul Roye’s Aman Brings Trans Masculinity to TIFF 2026
Aman is a short film about a trans man who becomes pregnant.
The story asks whether pregnancy should change how people understand his identity as a man.
The filmmaker, Rahul Roye, says it is wrong to define masculinity only through bodies or reproduction.
Transgender activists Kabir Maan and Sirat Taneja act in the film.
Their personal experience helped make the characters feel authentic.
The film also shows that healthcare may be difficult to afford or access.
Roye connects the story to concerns about India’s 2026 transgender-rights amendment.
Aman will be shown in the Short Cuts programme at the 2026 Toronto Film Festival.
Rahul Roye’s short film Aman has been selected for the Short Cuts programme at the 2026 Toronto Film Festival.
The film follows Aman, a trans man who discovers he is pregnant and confronts assumptions about masculinity, identity and fatherhood.
Transgender activists Kabir Maan and Sirat Taneja star in the film, which was co-written with nonbinary filmmaker Elle León.
Roye says the film explores healthcare access, reproductive autonomy and how class, geography and social support affect transgender people.
The film arrives as Roye criticises what he describes as a narrower definition of transgender identity in India’s 2026 amendment.
- Who
- Filmmaker Rahul Roye, co-writer Elle León, and actors Kabir Maan and Sirat Taneja are involved in Aman.
- What
- Aman, a short film about a pregnant trans man, was selected for the Short Cuts programme of the 2026 Toronto Film Festival.
- Where
- The film will be presented at the Toronto Film Festival; its social context is primarily connected to transgender experiences in India.
- When
- The 2026 Toronto Film Festival runs from September 10 to 20, 2026.
- Why
- Roye says the film examines gender definitions, masculinity, fatherhood, healthcare access and reproductive autonomy.
Key facts
- Film
- Aman
- Director
- Rahul Roye
- Co-writer
- Elle León, a nonbinary filmmaker also known as Nostas
- Festival programme
- Short Cuts
- Festival dates
- September 10–20, 2026
- Lead actors
- Transgender activists Kabir Maan and Sirat Taneja
- Related policy issue
- Roye discusses the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Act, 2026
Quotes
Rahul Roye
Director and co-writer of Aman
“For many trans people in India, the question is not only whether healthcare exists, but whether they can afford it, reach it, find an affirming doctor, take time away from work, or make reproductive choices without risking their livelihood or family support.”
freepressjournal.in
“Pregnancy does not feminise Aman. Instead, it reveals how aggressively we gender biological functions. It allowed the film to separate masculinity from anatomy and question the foundation of gender roles.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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