Wo|men| encompass men, birth men and nurture men. Women are excelling in every field. From turning a house into a home to turning a startup into a unicorn, women have done it all. But society still believes in stereotyping gender roles and identities. A homemaker equals a woman and a bread earner equals a man. Certainly, the young generation is bound to adopt the same crooked mind set. ‘Badlaav’, the story of Himani and Ankush, presents the little effort of a father to teach his daughter the true essence of women.

Synopsis

Women, especially mothers are portrayed to be perfectionists. Working women are expected to keep an ideal balance between home and office. And in the process, we define certain boundaries for them. We always portray them as a passenger in life’s journey. We forget to count their equal effort and celebrate them for their daily feat. ‘Badlaav’ is a short film that tries to change this image of a typical woman. The story revolves around Himani, Ankush and their daughter Sayali. The director Gaurav Arora aptly presents metaphors in the form of Sayali’s drawings that bring up some significant stereotypes that exist in society. Ankush makes an effort to change Sayali’s perspective towards her mother and women in general.

The Story of ‘Women’

It is a usual day for Ankush, Himani and their little daughter Sayali. The film opens with the piercing sound of a pressure cooker steaming. Eventually, an occupied Himani involved in her daily chores comes into picture. Ankush and Sayali are seen involved in a cute banter which leads them to conclude that Sayali is a Papa’s girl. The story gears up when Sayali picks up a disturbing trait of his father and tries imitating him. Ankush drops it then, but it pricks him. Himani makes Sayali practice for her recital. She sings along with her ‘Hum honge kamyaab, hum honge kamyaab, hum honge kamyaab ek din!‘.

In the latter half of the film, Himani comes home to find Sayali missing school for that day. But something pleasant awaits her. As the story moves, we see Sayali reciting ‘Hum hain kamyaab, hum hain kamyaab, hum hain kamyaab har din!’. With tears in her eyes, she is amazed to see Ankush and Sayali’s effort towards appreciating her. The film ends with a delightful family embrace.

Afterword

The writer-director Gaurav Arora has successfully created a thing to touch hearts. The story is basic yet meaningful and impactful with something for all – men and women. The perfect conceptualization of little things makes a great impact and brings out the best in the story. Neha Iyer plays Himani with complete dedication and fits in character flawlessly. She depicts herself as a bold and hardworking woman throughout. Also, Gaurav Khanna playing Ankush is nothing less than a befitting match. He beautifully carries out his role as a gentleman and justifies his character. Yashasvi Adesh Kumar who played the little girl Sayali is herself a pleasure to watch. She maturely plays her part while preserving her innocence. Precisely, ‘Badlaav’ is a sweet delight with a lesson as a treat.

We live in the digital age where videos have become a major source of entertainment and learning for everyone across the world. From DIYs, crash courses, indie music and films to music videos and live sessions. Youtube has come to be a treasure trove of videos where you are bound to find something to your liking. Upon digging deep into this chest of digital gems, here are some videos that are worth checking out 

Cover up by Being Indian 

The video throws the spotlight on the daily struggles and obstacles faced by women in India. Following a narrative style and put together with well-enacted performances. The 2-minute video speaks volumes on how women are in constant battle with societal norms and expectations laid on them. It is a thought-provoking commentary on the topic of gender-based violence, societal pressure and harassment. Which makes it a must-watch for everyone.

India’s Got Colour By Nandita Das 

The video follows a rap music format to hit a powerful message to the audience. It features a diverse group of individuals together enacting and reciting their experiences with colourism and the challenges they underwent due to it. The video shakes the notion of being fair as a standard of beauty in India. Ingrained prejudice towards skin colour continues in Indian society. The video is remarkable. It urges one to ponder their attitudes, perception and behaviour towards perceived beauty standards and raises awareness on how colourism prevails in the minuet happenings of everyday households as well and is not only limited to the fashion and film industry.

Hind by TTT 

The short film Hind by TTT is based on a true story. The film follows the daily routine of a man in Lucknow. An integral part of his life is a temple for which he has done more and beyond and continues to do so. His name is Noorul Hassan and he is a Muslim man who gave part of his house to build the temple in his town. The story highlights the most important aspect of being Indian, that which is not divided by faith but instead united by it. The film was uploaded as an Independence Day short film and is one that must be treasured and broadcast everywhere to reinforce that united we stand, divided we fall.

In this day and age of technology, where everything is handed to us, it’s hard to bounce back or find a jugaad (a quick easy fix) when life throws a curve ball at you. We have become so comfortable with everything being available at the tip of our fingers, that even a small nudge from life feels like an earthquake. Gone are the days when a small jugaad would save the day. Gone are the days of making do with what you have. “Salwate” gives us a glimpse of those beautiful old days in today’s world.

Salwate: A Glimpse

Directed and written by Amit Vijay, “Salwate” (literally meaning creases or wrinkles) tells the wrinkled tale of life. By following the life of our protagonist, Jeetesh, “Salwate” shows the viewers how life is not a piece of a perfectly ironed shirt. Sometimes it can get really wrinkled at the most inconvenient time possible. During these times it is our perspective and attitude that decides the fate of the lemons that life throws at us. 

Jeetesh is an optimist and cheerful guy, who follows a very strict routine in order to get ahead in life. Sharing a very playful relationship with his mother we see how the duo is so in sync with each other. But soon enough their playful banter comes to a halt when a serious case of wrinkled shirt takes the spotlight. To make matters worse, it is also the day of Jeetesh’s interview. With only a few moments to save the day, Jeetesh’s mother comes up with an amazing solution after Jeetesh’s failed attempts at getting a perfectly ironed shirt. This particular scene highlights the beauty of jugaad. With Alexa, Siri and Goggle ready to solve all our problems it’s very less likely for us to actually use our own brains to come up with quick fixes that save the day. 

Capturing each scene beautifully, “Salwate” highlights the beauty of thinking on your feet, a concept that is slowly vanishing with virtual AI ready to help us out every step of the way. Focusing on a very relatable scenario, “Salwate” makes the message all the more relatable for the viewers.

Afterword

A simple tale that is beautifully executed, “Salwate” shines a spotlight on the age-old Indian concept of jugaad. It is not always easy to highlight such a common and normalised concept with such precision. Yet Amit Vijay and the cast and crew of “Salwate” manage to do just that. It’s humorous, beautiful and very heart-warming to watch. A must-watch film for those struggling with what to do in life. It will surely teach you how to look for the answer which is right in front of you. All you need to do is just shift your perspective to see the potential that a lemon-like curveball holds. Watch “Salwate” right now!

Parents are said to be the protector of their children. They are always ready to help their child succeed. But in doing so, sometimes it happens that they never let their child face the reality of this cruel world. As parents, they try their best to protect them. But sometimes this protection ends up in the child not being entirely ready to face the world. As much as it is the parent’s job to protect their children, it is also their job to ensure they are ready to face the real world when the time calls for it. The path to truly preparing them for the real world is not easy, but neither is life. “Pocket Mummy” explores a similar theme.

Pocket Mummy: A Glimpse

Directed by Nitesh V. Ranglani and starring Madhoo and Parzaan Dastur, “Pocket Mummy” is a short and simple tale that leaves an invaluable lesson for the viewers. A tale of a mother who decides to teach her son the true value of money. Given that her son recently started working, she was very proud of him, but his actions made her feel he has not yet learnt the true value of saving money for the future. And no matter how bitter the pill was, she went ahead and gave it to her son for his own benefit.

Being a single mother and raising her kid alone was not at all easy, but she made it. Although her husband did provide for her even after his death, the one thing she could not attain was independence. The financial independence and power that comes with earning your own keep were always missing for her. “Pocket Mummy” beautifully highlights how one doesn’t need something bad to happen in order to keep an eye out for the rain. It brings to life the saying, “Prevention is always better than cure.” Teaching the true power of independence this movie is sure to leave you empowered with knowledge towards the end.

Shot in an everyday set-up, “Pocket Mummy” makes the lesson all the more relatable for the audience. With a cast that conveys the message with a lot of emotions yet ensures that it comes off firm and clear, the casting choice is truly top-notch. The camera angles and focus indeed add more depth to the plot and helped in spreading the message forward. The fact that it was all shot in one location and only featured 3 actors just adds to the simplicity of it all.

Afterword

Parents sometimes take such decisions which do not always agree with us or what we have planned. Yet, it is mostly for the best in the long run. “Pocket Mummy” very nicely portrays such a decision taken by a mother. It helps us understand the different layers of parenting with much more clarity. It also brings to light how parenting is not all rainbows and roses and sometimes it is important to let the child learn from its own mistakes, and more importantly, it’s important to let the child make its own mistakes.

A mother is a child’s first point of contact. She is the eyes and ears through which the child understands the world around him/her/they. It’s her arms that help a child explore the world around him/her when they are unable to do the same. Waking up at 5 am and being constantly on their feet till 12 am, mothers always go unappreciated for their constant efforts. And while continuously dedicating herself to us, she ends up forgetting about her dreams that used to keep her awake with joy and hope all night. “Maa Ke Sapne” explores this theme with the help of a very relatable scenario.

Maa Ke Sapne: A Glimpse

Brought to you by Life Tak, “Maa Ke Sapne” tells the tale of every mother and daughter. Although the bond shared between a mother and a daughter is very special, it doesn’t mean it’s always a garden of roses. As with every relationship, this relationship too has its fair share of bitter and sweet moments. But recently with electronic gadgets taking priority over true human interactions, the bitter moments have intensified and the sweeter ones reduced.

“Maa Ke Sapne” starts off with what appears to be a regular interaction between a mother and a daughter. As the film progresses we see how the daughter knowingly or unknowingly ends up hurting her mother during every tiny interaction they share. The bitterness boils up to such a point that viewers can’t help but sympathise with the mother but also feel guilty over acting in a similar fashion to their own mother.

With each bitter moment, we see how a mother loses a little bit more confidence in her dream. And honestly, can we blame her? The child she dedicated her entire life to can’t bother to spare a minute to acknowledge her dreams. The final resolution in the film not only leaves the viewer feeling a sense of contentment but also a lingering sense of guilt and motivation to seek redemption for all the times they have behaved poorly and completely disregarded their mother’s dream because it inconvenienced them. 

Being shot entirely in one location, i.e., the house, “Maa Ke Sapne” adds a relatability element to the entire film. The emotions brought about by the cast in each scene just go on to show how great of an artist they truly are. Complete with simple dialogues, beautiful acting and everyday scenarios this film is sure to leave an impact.

Afterword

Dedicated to all the mothers out there, “Maa Ke Sapne” brings to light the unsung hero of our life, our mother. The film makes us question ourselves: are we really this ungrateful to the person who gave us this ability to dream? Have we become so comfortable with being cared for by our mothers that when it’s our turn to support them and help them achieve their dream we falter?