Festive gatherings in my family are a little complicated. On one hand, there is the joy of meeting all my cousins and my aunts and catching up on everyone's lives, on the other there are the post-dinner political discussions that often take an uncomfortable direction. Every time I visit them, I kind of have to juggle between relishing the nostalgia of my childhood memories at grandma's place with the problematic values of a a little too religion-proud Hindu family. Even amidst all the familiarity, love and togetherness of a joint family, this is a little alienating.
As we grow up and start to think for ourselves, slowly becoming an individual, our blind spots when it comes to family and friends make themselves known too. This clarity that emerges from the loosening grips of enmeshed ideologies, is something that Nitin Baid's directorial debut Chashma does quite poetically. The short film, set in India during 1992, a time of significant socio-political change, follows Supriyo, an 11-year-old boy struggling with poor eyesight. But this muddled vision isn't purely literal. Amidst rising religious tensions in the country, the short film explores the blind spots of a young boy and the country as a whole.
Chashma plays with the themes of communal violence through the lens of a coming of age narrative. Between the older school bully Sameer and the instability of a broken home, our protagonist feels out of place throughout the film. This is also why he shies away from admitting that he needs glasses to be able to see. But when a school conflict erupts between Vinay and Sameer, mirroring the societal tensions, Supriyo is forced to confront his biases and perceptions.
Chashma's story hold a close resemblance to the director's own childhood. Nitin also grew up in a 90s' India, an era marked by significant shift in cultural and political change. He too struggled with myopia for eight months without telling anyone in fear of being bullied. His inability to see things at a distance led him to think about a question years later, "Do we really see things for what they are, or do our perceptions and prejudices shape everything we see?"
Chashma addresses boyhood, identity and the pursuit of personal truth through a simple but impactful story. Supriyo's journey is one of courage; to check one's own perceptual biases at the risk of strained relationships. The communal themes of the film explored through an unassuming act of justice highlights how our notions of right and wrong are heavily coloured by societal narratives. It brings to surface how indifference, political ignorance and nihilism is used as an excuse to turn a blind eye to social and cultural evils. Like Supriyo, it's our personal responsibility to seek truth and clean the glasses through which we look at the world.
Watch the trailer for the short film below:
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