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Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox wins Best Director at Mumbai film festival
The Connecticut State Senator was recognized for her documentary on menstrual rights.
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Anushka Pathak - Mon, 16, Feb 2026
- 16:45 EST
- 28
Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox / Courtesy: Quinnipiac University
Connecticut State Senator and university professor Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox received the Best Director Award at the Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival.
She was recognized for the documentary “Chaya,” which centers on female leadership through the work of Indian activist Chaya Kakade. The award followed the film’s official selection at the festival for its portrayal of Kakade’s campaign for menstrual health rights in India.
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The documentary examines Kakade’s 2017 protest against a tax on sanitary pads, her operation of a small enterprise employing village women to produce affordable pads for rural communities, and her organization of peaceful demonstrations and a hunger strike modeled on Gandhian principles.
‘Chaya’ presents menstrual health as a fundamental human right and documents broader global changes, including tax eliminations and free distribution of sanitary pads in schools and public institutions in several countries.
The documentary highlights themes of collective empowerment at the intersection of education, entrepreneurship, and activism, and captures what it describes as a “global moment of change” in menstrual health policy and access.
Gadkar-Wilcox, associate professor of legal studies at Quinnipiac University, co-directed the film with interactive media and design professor Ewa Callahan. She introduced Kakade’s story for development and provided a Marathi translation to ensure the accuracy and timing of Kakade’s statements.
The project marked her first film collaboration. Initial production began with on-location filming in India before transitioning fully to remote work.
Gadkar-Wilcox was elected in 2024 as the first Indian American state senator in Connecticut and the first South Asian woman to serve in the chamber, representing District 22 - Bridgeport, Trumbull, and Monroe. Prior to her teaching role at Quinnipiac, she engaged with pedagogical issues as the director of a nonprofit legal education organization and worked in litigation.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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