We rush through our lives, making decisions as lights turn green and clocks tick on. We brush people off, turn down little voices, brush aside the moments that appear inconvenient or small. In our rush to get somewhere else, we seldom stop to consider how our actions will have impact on the people, environment, economy and the society. Sometimes a throwaway sentence or impatient gesture has harsher and harder impact than we intend to and we only know the weight once the moment has gone. Regret slips in softly. We play the moment back and notice for the first time what we ignored in the rush – the disappointment in the corner of an eye; the effort that has been put into a small gift; the love that is sitting underneath the error.
We want to go back and offer more patience, kindness and awareness and yet now the damage has been done. However, regret can also bring us back into responsibility; lead us out of the door to mend what we have broken, to return to the world with humility and sensitivity. In acknowledging our thoughtlessness, we come to learn the importance of empathy and the quiet courage to fix it.
Tokri
Tokri (The Basket) is an animated short film, directed by Mr. Suresh Eriyat. The film has no dialogue, instead using gestures and detailed expressions to portray the action. Tokri has earned the Best Animation Film award during the National Film Awards. The story explores the theme of human relationships, compassion and all of the challenges that come with everyday living. It has depicted through the life of the people within a miniature world.
The film Tokri tells the story of a young girl, whose life is influenced by family, duty and a mistake, she never intended to make. When she leaves the safety of her home, she has both an emotional and physical burden to carry. The themes of guilt, determination and strength are presented in the film. The film portrays the delicate relationship between the parents and the child and how seemingly small acts can have great impacts and consequences.
The Role of a Father
In Tokri, the relationship between the father and the daughter is established through subtle gestures, rather than through words, spoken aloud. The father figures are often their child’s first source of safety and strength. They provide reassurance to their children. The father’s presence in the daughter’s life serves as an anchor in the world, filled with uncertainty and unpredictability. This relationship has a delicate balance of authority as well as tenderness.
What makes the father-daughter relationship truly powerful is its quiet steadfastness, as it has no need for grand gestures to signify its existence. It grows through mutual glances, through the unspoken understanding of the other and through the mutual desire to keep each other safe and protected. Even at times of guilt or miscommunication, the father-daughter relationship can withstand the test of time. At the root of the relationship is trust, sacrifice and unconditional love for each other.
Compassion and Forgiveness
The smallest, quietest moments of compassion can be thought of as the motive behind the other person’s actions. When we start looking at someone’s mistake differently and see the intention behind that mistake, a bond of understanding is formed. We have to look past our frustration and see what might have been motivating them to act the way they did. Therefore, instead of reacting to them with anger, we are able to respond to them with patience. Instead of holding onto blame, we give them a chance to grow.
Forgiveness does not change the past. It simply changes the meaning, given to those actions by turning guilt into learning and regret into responsibility. We can acknowledge the pain that was created from the past. If we choose to forgive, we are not going to allow that pain to define our relationship. We will allow ourselves to have another opportunity for redemption, another chance to make things right and another opportunity to rebuild our trust.
The film Tokri teaches us that compassion is what strengthens a relationship. The film shows that when you encounter someone, who is vulnerable, you have an opportunity to be kind to them. We all make mistakes and we all fall down at times. When we practice empathy and forgiveness, our relationships can become stronger. Our love does not show us that we are perfect. Our love shows us that we have the ability to understand, to accept and to grow together.
