From the Streets to the Lens: The Inspiring Journey of Photographer Vicky Roy

Acclaimed Indian screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala is now set to script "Street Dreams", a real-life inspired biopic predicated on the compelling life story of Vicky Roy. Born into poverty in rural eastern India, Roy transformed from a street child to an internationally recognized photographer. Taraporevala has notable screenwriting credits to her name such as "Salaam Bombay," "Mississippi Masala," and Netflix’s "Yeh Ballet." She will be writing for Nirvana Films founder Mauktik Kulkarni, who is producing the project with Indian-American filmmaker Ben Rekhi as consulting producer.

Roy's beginnings were rooted in impoverished rural East India, where poverty led him to theft and eventually made him abandon his village. Roy navigated the gritty streets of Delhi, surviving by gathering rags on train platforms until the Salaam Baalak Trust intervened. This organization, set up after the success of the Oscar-nominated film, "Salaam Bombay," provided a different trajectory for Roy's life. His extraordinary journey included capturing the 9/11 Memorial construction through his lens and obtaining an MIT Media Labs fellowship. Roy presently heads the photojournalism domain for the initiative, "Everyone Is Good at Something," aimed at empowering individuals with disabilities.

Sooni Taraporevala expressed her joy at this opportunity, stating it was "quite surreal and totally wonderful" to script Vicky's remarkable life story. Mauktik Kulkarni, a former neuroscientist now a filmmaker, expressed his admiration for Vicky’s unbelievable story and his utmost excitement to bring his story to life on screen, adding that Sooni’s expertise in crafting India-centric narratives makes her an ideal writer for this script.

Sanjoy Roy, founder of the Salaam Baalak Trust, is supporting the development of the film, viewing it as a continuation of the organization's decades-long mission to ensure basic rights for India’s street children. Following the success of last year’s Oscar-nominated short "Anuja," featuring an alumnus from their Trust, the upcoming film "Street Dreams" is expected to inspire audiences by reinforcing the belief that one's life actions matter more than one's origins.