The movie follows the lives of Anil and Renu, a childless couple. Renu miscarries and finds out she will not be able to have a child again. Her husband Anil doesn’t want to adopt, so Renu suggests they hire a sex worker as a surrogate mother. Enter Chanda, who develops a close relationship with Anil. As time passes, Chanda forms an unexpected bond with the unborn child. When the due date approaches, Renu grapples with her feelings of insecurity and attachment.

❌ Under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, the surrogate relinquishes all rights to the child and must hand over the child to the intending couple after childbirth. The surrogate also has to undergo strict physical and psychological evaluations to be deemed fit to be a surrogate.

In this Malayalam movie, Rajiv Menon, a wealthy and aimless alcoholic, wants to have a child without marrying or adopting. Advised by a doctor, he finds a surrogate, Annie, to carry his child through traditional surrogacy. Initially indifferent and financially motivated, Annie becomes emotionally attached with the baby during pregnancy. Despite Rajiv’s care and preparation for fatherhood, Annie refuses to part with the child after birth.

❌ The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 do not allow single men to have children through surrogacy or IVF. At the same time, traditional surrogacy isn’t allowed in India, only gestational surrogacy is allowed in which surrogate cannot be genetically linked with the child and she cannot be compensated. Under the new laws, the surrogate is only entitled to the reimbursement of medical costs and a 36-month health insurance.

The movie revolves around the friendship between two women, Rewa and Sia. When Rewa faces fertility issues after marriage, Sia offers to be their surrogate. Rewa and her husband accept the offer after initial hesitation and emotional turmoil. Throughout the pregnancy, tensions arise as Rewa struggles with jealousy and frustration for losing out on the experience of pregnancy. However, when Sia gives birth to a baby girl, she fulfils her promise and hands the child to Rewa, mending their bond.

✅ In the movie, Sia’s altruistic offer to become a surrogate for her best friend Rewa depicts a form of surrogacy allowed under the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, where the surrogate can be known to the intending parties without financial compensation. However, finding a surrogate who is willing to carry a child without compensation is challenging in real life due to the significant physical and emotional labour involved.

This movie explores surrogacy through a wealthy couple, Raj and Priya, facing infertility. They resort to traditional surrogacy (where the surrogate's own gametes are used), and secretly hire Madhubala (Preity Zinta), a sex worker, to be their surrogate. The film highlights the emotional turmoil involved as Madhubala, initially motivated by money, develops a bond with the unborn baby and struggles with the thought of giving it away to the couple.

❌ The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 only allows gestational surrogacy, which means the surrogate’s gametes cannot be used to create the embryo. In the movie, Madhubala is financially motivated; however, the new law only allows altruistic surrogacy and does not permit compensation to surrogates.

The movie explores the theme of sperm donation through Vicky, a carefree young man who becomes a sperm donor for a fertility clinic for its financial incentives. The movie sheds light on the social stigma surrounding sperm donation, with Vicky initially hiding what he does and facing ridicule. The story takes an unexpected turn when Vicky’s wife, Ashima, can’t conceive, eventually forcing Vicky to reveal his career as a sperm donor. Despite initial backlash, Ashima realises Vicky’s donations have brought happiness to many families, and comes to terms with it.

❌ The ART Act, 2021 strictly regulates gamete donation in India. It has outlined clear guidelines on the eligibility criteria, screening and recruitment procedure of donors and number of donations. For example, the Act says that all gametes from a single donor must be reserved for only one recipient, unlike Vicky, who repeatedly donates sperm to multiple recipients. Also, like surrogacy, egg donors and sperm donors and not allowed to be compensated under the Act.

'Afia', part of the anthology film, ‘I am’, explores the journey of Afia, a woman in her mid-30s.
After her husband leaves her for another woman, Afia decides to pursue motherhood through IVF with donated sperm. She meticulously chooses Suraj as her sperm donor and insists on meeting him, much against the clinic’s rules. Afia meets Suraj, but their interaction is awkward. She goes ahead with the IVF procedure, and offers Suraj a gift as a thank you gesture, which Suraj politely refuses and gives Afia his contact number instead.

❌ The ART Act, 2021 allows for both anonymous and directed donation (known donor), but with specific regulations for each. While single women are allowed to pursue motherhood through IVF, the recipients in reality, have limited access to the donors’ information. The ARTA requires ART banks, where gamete donors are screened and recruited, to maintain a registry with detailed information (excluding identity) accessible to recipients.

This movie tackles the emotional journey of a young woman, Mimi, who becomes a surrogate mother for an American couple, John and Summer, to pursue her dream of
becoming a Bollywood actress.
The film portrays a commercial surrogacy agreement, where Mimi is financially compensated for carrying the child. However, the situation becomes complicated when prenatal tests suggest the baby might have Down syndrome.
John and Summer, unwilling to raise a child with special needs, abandon the surrogacy contract and leave India. As Mimi navigates through the ups and downs of pregnancy, she forms a deep bond with the unborn child, leading to emotional conflicts and ultimately redefining the meaning of family.

❌ Mimi's story diverges from the regulations outlined in the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, in several ways. The Act mandates mandatory counseling for all parties involved, which could have potentially prepared John and Summer for the possibility of a child with special needs. The Act also requires a written agreement outlining responsibilities in such scenarios, which could have provided clarity and legal recourse for Mimi.

This film is a comedic take on in vitro fertilization (IVF). Two couples- Varun and Deepti Batra and Honey and Monika Batra, who share the same surname, seek parenthood through IVF treatment. But a hospital mix-up results in the sperm samples being swapped. Both couples are initially furious upon learning of the mistake. As the pregnancies progress, tensions rise, but Deepti and Monika eventually bond over their shared experience.

❌ However, the ART (Regulation) Act 2021 imposes strict protocols to prevent errors in handling sperm and eggs. Unlike in the film where the doctor faces no legal repercussions, the ART Act ensures accountability among clinics and medical professionals for negligence. Violations could result in penalties, including fines ranging from 5 lakh rupees to 10 lakh rupees for initial contraventions and, for subsequent offenses, a prison sentence of at least 3 years and up to 8 years, along with fines between 10 lakh rupees and 20 lakh rupees.