Accused by her live-in partner of rape she was forced undergo medical test to determine her gender in police custody, kept in a prison with male inmates and MMS of the gender determination test was also leaked on the Net.

The ordeal of Asian Games Gold medallist Pinki Pramanik and the courage with which she overcame the trauma is the subject of a Bengali film title She?. The film is scheduled to be released early next month in over 30 different locations in State. Curiously, Ms. Pramanik refused to discuss the film and it appeared that she does not approve of the project. Ms. Pramanik said that she request every film maker, keen to make a film on her, to “show the truth.”

Gender issue

“The film deals with the issue of gender and how those who do not fit in the stereotypes are treated by the society through the story of Pinki Pramanik,” Raja Banerjee, the director of film told The Hindu. The two-hour film starts with the athlete being arrested and taken to prison and then will take viewers through childhood in Purulia, where she dreamt of becoming an athlete. The director said that he closely followed media reports on the developments relating to the athlete's case, did a lot of research and by December 2013 had decided to make a film on the issue.

Ms. Pramanik was arrested in November 2012 and had to spend about 25 days in custody before being granted bail. In September 2014, the Calcutta High Court exonerated the athlete of all charges. The treatment meted out to the international-level athlete by the authorities as well as the media, when experts floundered to conduct a conclusive gender-confirming test became a subject of public debate. “The character of Pinki Pramanik is played by actor Kamalika Chandra and we have given lot of emphasis on the harassment meted out to the athlete by the police,” Mr. Banerjee said. The director said that the athlete had seen the film during its post-production, but Ms. Pramanik refused to comment on the film made on her life.

“There are many who approach me telling that they want to make a film or a documentary on me. I tell them to show the truth. I don’t want to say anything more on the film,” Ms Pramanik told The Hindu. Busy with her job with Indian Railways, the athlete said that her priority was sports.