From a child bride to South India's first woman taxi driver: Selvi's story is going to make you cry

It is an inspirational watch. Photo Courtesy: Twitter

14-year-old Selvi was really close to her brother. With her mother, however, she did not share a very pleasant relationship. The usual mother-daughter bond was an absentee in this case. So, when her dear brother came up to her to let her know that she was about to get married--it broke her heart. At 14 what do you know about marriage and motherhood? But despite her protests, Selvi was married off. What happened next is heartbreaking. Her marital life was marred by constant torture, abuse, and rape. And if this was not bad enough, her husband asked her to sleep with other men to earn extra money. This broke her. She waited for a bus because she wanted to throw herself under it, but when the bus came, she raised her hand and got on it instead.

Her story doesn't end here. Cut to 2017, her tale of courage has now been turned into a Canadian documentary Driving with Selvi, made by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Elisa Paloschi.

The two met for the first time in 2004, when Paloschi was on a visit to India. She was just a tourist, visiting the memorials in Mysore. But, fate had other plans for her. She met Selvi after she volunteered with Odanadi, an organization dedicated to rehabilitate people affected by human trafficking. They asked her to shoot a short film for their organization. Paloschi became 'enamored' with Selvi, and ended up following her over the next 10 years to film the documentary. And thus began a bond of friendship, trust, and love that ultimately led to this heart touching documentary.

The reason why Selvi has managed to touch so many hearts is because she did not let her grim past define her future. In fact, she became South India's first woman taxi drivers. And now she owns a taxi company. She has happily remarried now and has a daughter. However, her journey was full of struggle and Selvi wants her story to encourage other girls to understand how forced marriages disrupt lives.

"My life gained a purpose knowing that my story would reach girls like myself. When I grew up, I had nobody, but I hope I can now be a role model to girls," she says.

Child marriage in India is a social evil that refuses to die. And the director points out at the gravity of the problem.

"There are 5 million Indian girls just like Selvi that are married each year before they turn 18. I'm truly humbled to meet these girls as part of Selvi's Bus Tour, hear their stories and witness the remarkable way in which they engage with the film and the actions that are resulting. The main feedback which we've received from these girls is that parents need to see the film as much as their children; that is where the real change happens, but we cannot do it on our own," says Paloschi.

There are 5 million Indian girls just like Selvi that are married each year before they turn 18. Photo Courtesy: YouTube

The makers of the documentary are now collaborating with NGOs and educational institutes to maximize their reach. This is also a part of the campaign called 'Driving with Selvi,' that aims to tackle the problem of child marriages in India. Gala screenings of the documentary have resulted in people getting to see the inspiring story of Selvi.