Her role as a victim of sex trafficking was so harrowing that Mrunal Thakur almost backed out.
To research the experiences of women and girls sold into the sex trade, like the title character she plays in the film "Love Sonia," Thakur met survivors in red light districts in Mumbai and Kolkata.
In one brothel, she was shown beds that had been placed up on bricks. When she asked why, she was told it was so that children could be hidden underneath the bed while their mother was forced to serve clients.