Tokri, a short stop-motion animation film by animator and director Suresh Eriyat and his production company, Studio Eeksaurus gives us an insight into the layers of emotions that constitute family life, creating a fresh perspective on love, mistakes, and forgiveness.
The film tells the story of a young girl’s attempts to remedy breaking her father’s precious heirloom, that he had received as a memento of honour, by weaving and selling baskets to passersby. In doing so, it ends up capturing the essence of the overwhelming pace of the city of Mumbai, which has been the subject of far too many dreams and heartbreaks.
The story came to Eriyat on his commute from Bandra to Famous Studios in Mahalaxmi, Mumbai. At a signal in Mahim (which is replicated in the film), a little girl with baskets came knocking at his window. After ignoring her a few times and missing to get a pass with the green light, he took his frustration on that girl by snarling and shouting at her. She just withdrew in shock. He spent the rest of his journey mired in guilt and self-doubt.
The experience translated into this beautiful piece of animation striking a chord with us through the depiction of the ordinary lives of ordinary people.
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