Indian Animator, Tarun Lak’s Videos Capture The Sheer Simplicity Of Childhood In India

Once upon a time, life was simple and quite removed from the rat race we now cohabit with. We would often wake up smiling, ready to jump out of bed to play with our friends in the neighbourhood. At other times, we would hop off to school and prattle about with our peers before coming back home and stomping off to play again. Come evening, we would slowly crawl back inside our homes and settle in comfortably for a good night’s sleep. Even though those days are gone and we have moved ahead, sometimes happily, some other times, unwillingly, to a different kind of life, we often look back at what made us happy then. If we pause and look carefully, however, we might even find that it makes us happy still.

Toeing the line is India Vignettes, a video compilation by animator Tarun Lak, which has left netizens awestruck with its simple and accurate depiction of the lives of children in Indian households. The first part of the clip shows a child eagerly waiting by a coconut water vendor as he skillfully slashes the coconut before passing it on to the child.

The second clip shows an elderly gentleman leisurely glancing through a newspaper, possibly on a hot, summer afternoon, before slipping into a nice, little nap.

Similarly, the following three clips portraying the familiar ways in which Indian children revel in their little moments of joy have been captured with phenomenal accuracy by the artist.

“Don’t know why but this reminds me of a show called Malgudi Days that used to come on DD national,” wrote a Twitter user. To which another replied, “The first time I played the video. I did it without the sound (don’t know why). Mentally, I was playing the Malgudi Days background music. And this comment made it the full circle!”

An individual wrote, “I love them all! But the tiffin sharing one is the one I miss the most! Working with other cultures (German, US) it’s very rare to have office lunch together and share from each other’s food. That one just hit home.”

Till now, the video has gathered more than a million views and continues to win the hearts of netizens.

You can check out the video compilation here.

If you enjoyed reading this article, we suggest you also read:

Tokri: A Stop-Motion Animation On Family, Mistakes & Forgiveness

The Murky Side Of The Indian Animation & Visual Effects Industry

19 Delightful Animated Films From India You Should Watch This Weekend