‘She Creates Change’: Charithra Chandran, Freida Pinto among narrators of gender equality film series

Charithra Chandran, who rose to fame with her role in Bridgerton, and Slumdog Millionaire actress Freida Pinto are among the narrators who lend their voices to She Creates Change, a gender equality film series launched on International Women's Day.

Warner Bros. Discovery and Room to Read have partnered on She Creates Change.

Room to Read is a global education nonprofit aiming to create a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality.

The six-episode short film series narrates the stories of six girls hailing from historically low-income communities in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Vietnam who confront diverse challenges unique to their lives and learn how to harness their inner strength and advocate for themselves and change their futures using particular life skills.

The series which combines animation and live-action documentary addresses themes like climate justice, financial literacy, food insecurity, child marriage, discrimination, menstruation, and sexual harassment.

“Don’t apologize for your ambition. And always be an advocate for yourself. No one believes in you, no one’s going to root for you. No one’s going to advocate for you better than yourself. So don’t apologize for both wanting more and asking for more,” Chandran said in a message to women and young girls for International Women’s Day. “So many experiences, because we don’t talk about it can be super isolating. I would love for young girls to realize that there is a community and they can find community and build community amongst each other. I’d also really love for young boys and men to watch the film and the shorts and realize the role that they can play in helping their sisters and their daughters.

Pinto stated, “The path to a gender-equal world is being paved by Room to Read. Through its programmes and ground-breaking content including She Creates Change, Room to Read demonstrates exactly what can—and does—happen when young women are supported to learn and imagine their own futures. She Creates Change is a poignant call to action for us all to increase our investment in girls’ education.”

Apart from Chandran and Pinto, the project also features voiceovers from prominent actors and advocates from across the world including Prajakta Koli, Dilshad Vadsaria, Adhir Kalyan, Amita Suman, Amrita Acharia, and Quyen Ngo.

Warner Bros. Discovery will premiere the film series on March 8, 15, and 22 to audiences in Asia. It will be showcased as an official selection at the Tribeca Festival, Manchester Animation Festival, London Short Film Festival, and the British Animation Awards later this year.