Couple Kevin and Anya - Give it a Shot Film
Director Vaishali Sinha joins Big Blend Radio to talk about her documentary Give It A Shot, which follows the decades-long global race to develop the first reversible male contraceptive since the modern condom. At the center of the story is 83-year-old Indian researcher Dr. Sujoy Guha, who has spent nearly 50 years on the technology, alongside a US-based team working toward the same goal.
Vaishali shares the personal story behind the film, why men currently have only three contraception options compared to more than fifteen for women, and why she believes this conversation matters now more than ever — including for reproductive rights in the US.
Listen to the Episode:
Key Conversation Highlights
A director's very personal starting point: Vaishali traces the idea for the film back to her own unplanned pregnancy and a D&C procedure, which led her to ask a question she says she'd never considered in her late 30s — "what's there for my husband?"
A 50-year scientific journey: At the center of the film is Dr. Sujoy Guha in New Delhi, who invented the underlying technology in 1970 and published his first scientific paper on it in 1979, with clinical trials involving up to 500 men in India through the 90s and 2000s.
The numbers behind the film: According to the Guttmacher Institute, men currently have two to three contraception methods (condoms, vasectomy, and the widely disputed "pull-out method") compared to more than fifteen options for women.
Where humor fits in: Vaishali built moments of levity into the film deliberately, believing humor helps audiences engage with a topic that's often treated as taboo.
What this means for reproductive rights today: Vaishali connects the conversation directly to the current state of reproductive rights and abortion access in the US.
Where to watch: Give It A Shot is currently in theaters nationwide, with a run of fall festival screenings, before it debuts on PBS's Independent Lens in early 2027.