Technology has turned our lives around making us dependent on it. In the process of easing out of our lives, we’ve lost the charm of living in and with the moment. Tathagata Singha’s 4-minute-long short film, Taxi Driver, encapsulates the true essence of living. The essence is not restricted to internet or network availability but the essence that is gathered with years of life.
Plot
The film opens with a couple directing the taxi driver (Surendra Rajan) to follow the digital map they were referring to. On the other hand, the taxi driver recommends another route which he knows better. This turns into a light-hearted conversation where both parties are confident about their references. The couple then follows up this conversation with a challenge for the taxi driver: they blindfold Surendra Rajan and task him with guessing the places they take him to. The film presents a contrast between the generations taking part in the movie. It serves as a commentary on the present youth and technology.
The Taxi Driver: Having Faith in Your Instincts and Lived Experiences
Both the opposite personalities that Tathagata Singha portrays highlight the stark difference that one can find in the two generations. While one is always taking a leap of faith and managing to live to the fullest, the other is constantly worried about the predominant availability. Although the internet and digital maps have made life easier, it does not have to demand absolute thoughtlessness.
Alongside this, we as a youth trust technology blindly. Interestingly, the taxi driver trusts his instincts blindly. What’s even more interesting to the viewers is that his instincts were not only correct but also delightful. They make you smile with him and live in his moment, walk the streets he describes and crave the crispy jalebis he sweetly describes.
The taxi driver’s knowledge of the city is not limited to the number of streets and kilometres. He serves as a more knowledgeable version of Bombay’s map. With his years of driving and living in the city, he is aware of the city’s history and culture. This culture resides in him and guides his path across the city.
The film is about acknowledging the talent that locals around us have acquired over the years. The true connoisseurs who live with us are far more informed about the itty-bitty of their surroundings than any new-age digital creation. In the process of evolving into modernity every day, we should not forget the loving hearts who have brought us this far.
