Godhuli.
Jasjit Purewal & Meenakshi Vinay Rai
Togetherness
Documentary.
Hindi.
26 minutes.
PSBT, Prasar Bharti.
2009.
Old age is a problem in itself though in words of senior citizens in the film, “it has its own charm” granting one freedom – “I am answerable to no one”. The collage of comments, at times unspoken, interspersed with remarks of Rajee Seth presents everyday truths with poetic emphasis. A PSBT – Prasar Bharati presentation, the film might have included more optimism.
The generation gap has always been there, but the ‘future shock’ the present generation of the elderly faces creates a unique situation which needs action plans on part of government as well as public service organizations. While the material wellbeing has reduced many discomforts , the increasing pace of life has intensified the weight of time – the aged and the retired have ample while their active children and acquaintances have very little, especially for them.
Every third thought?
Psychologists agree that problems caused by loss of attention turn complex with an acute sense of alienation, which did not exist in the country three or four decades back.
Today even the young suffer from lack of attention because their parents, siblings and even friends are all engaged in absorbing activities of their own. The household routine is getting mechanized with frozen meals and packaged outings. A difference of five years is sufficient to create generation gap, so the elderly find it immensely difficult to connect with their children, what to say of the grand-children. The death of Indian family system which seemed unquestionably impregnable to them comes as painful surprise. The young are being encouraged to plan for their retirement through investment in various tantalizing schemes of dubious future. A whole generation that has become absolutely materialism-oriented should start thinking in more concrete terms than money. Thoughts of the aged themselves might provide a clue to possible lines of actions.
The creative use of folk music of Banjara-s and Bhopa-s grants gaiety to a somber topic.
Theme of the documentary is really touching and based on the today’s problem of communication/generation gap. We often called generation gap but I feel its a communication gap. I used to hear from elder people about their time that they had plenty of time for work and leisure both. No advanced technology and better mode of transportation were there at that time, but people live life fullest and had time for everyone. A kind of bondage was there. Its a time for introinspection where we are going?