Ladies Only: Getting where you’re going without getting harassed. That’s what’s driving a new generation of Indian women to become taxi drivers-for women only. Enter their world as they negotiate New Delhi’s divided public transport spaces.

“Ladies Only” is a 29-minute short documentary directed by Veda Shastri that takes place in New Delhi, India. The film explores the rise of gender-segregated spaces in the Indian capital’s public transport system—trains, buses, and now, taxis. To combat the pervasive problem of rape and sexual harassment, “women’s only” initiatives have been implemented to make the city safer and more secure for women. This film follows the characters of Preeti, who’s hoping to leave her abusive husband, and Simran, who is transgender, as they attend driving school and learn to become one of India’s few female professional taxi drivers—for women specifically.

Veda Shastri - Producer, 360 News/VR, The New York Times

Veda Shastri is an immersive storytelling producer at The New York Times and documentary filmmaker. For the Times, she produces both short form 360 video news stories as well as NYTVR (New York Times Virtual Reality) documentaries. She was previously the International producer of The Daily 360 at the Times, producing over 100 stories from around the world, including the series "Genocide's Legacy," coverage of the Rohingya refugees, and an interactive from inside Fukushima, Japan. Prior to joining the Times, Veda co-produced the VR documentary, “Return to Chernobyl” for PBS Frontline. She was also previously a news producer for CNN-IBN in New Delhi, India for several years. Veda has an MA from New York University's Journalism and Documentary Film program, and a BA in Anthropology from Tufts University.

This event is co-sponsored by the Center for the Advanced Study of India.