The movie "Lion" was released on the 25th of November 2016. It was the night before school reopens after the winter break my sister,my mom, my cousin from Canada and I decided to watch the movie in the theatre. That very day I had no motivation to go to school after a long break. I really had nothing to look forward at. I was going through a phase that nothing seemed worth it. I wanted to live a different life. Anyways, the trailer was what dragged me to watch the movie.
The film begins in 1986 in Khandwa, India, where five-year-old Saroo Khan lives with his mother and siblings. On an ill-fated train trip to look for work, Saroo and his older brother, Guddu, are separated, and Saroo ends up on a train that carries him 1,000 miles from home, to the busy jumble of Kolkata. The first half of Lion, harrowing and sad, depicts Saroo’s time alone on the streets, nearly preyed upon by sinister people with undoubtedly even more sinister motives, until he’s finally brought to an orphanage. From there he’s sent to Tasmania, Australia, and adopted by a doting, childless white couple.
What stroke me and made me dumbfounded was the five year old character Saroo. While watching the movie, I was so much engaged with the character and the journey he went through by himself. The kid is a natural, equal parts waif and rascal with an expressive face that perfectly reflects his state of mind from scene to scene while often not saying word. There was two scenes that made realize that I have everything that what I needed. I have food to eat three times a day, I have my family, I have a shelter to live in. And the important thing is I was getting one of the best education in the whole world. So, this film was based on true story in India. As the little boy gets lost and separated from his family, 1000 miles away to another part of India he travels alone with no shelter and food. He goes through a series of dangerous path in Kolkata. Eventually, he is reduced to sleeping in tunnels and stealing food from public shrines. All he had with him was a cardboard to rest his head on during night with the others kids however, one night when they were asleep in the train station they were being chase by this gang of men who abducts kids and are forcefully being paralyze any parts of their body. This very kids are then ought to work "as in beg for money" for them. The fact that all the incidents he goes through are true and people aren't aware of it. It's just really sad...
What stroke me and made me dumbfounded was the five year old character Saroo. While watching the movie, I was so much engaged with the character and the journey he went through by himself. The kid is a natural, equal parts waif and rascal with an expressive face that perfectly reflects his state of mind from scene to scene while often not saying word. There was two scenes that made realize that I have everything that what I needed. I have food to eat three times a day, I have my family, I have a shelter to live in. And the important thing is I was getting one of the best education in the whole world. So, this film was based on true story in India. As the little boy gets lost and separated from his family, 1000 miles away to another part of India he travels alone with no shelter and food. He goes through a series of dangerous path in Kolkata. Eventually, he is reduced to sleeping in tunnels and stealing food from public shrines. All he had with him was a cardboard to rest his head on during night with the others kids however, one night when they were asleep in the train station they were being chase by this gang of men who abducts kids and are forcefully being paralyze any parts of their body. This very kids are then ought to work "as in beg for money" for them. The fact that all the incidents he goes through are true and people aren't aware of it. It's just really sad...
So, coming from a country similar to India, Bangladesh, not long ago I did experience seeing infants to toddlers to even teenagers homeless,begging, sleeping on the streets but never did I imagined myself putting my feet on their shoes. I failed to understand them. The journey of Saroo in Kolkata by himself opened my eyes, my heart for those kids who struggles every step of their way by themselves . This film made me experience art personally. After I finish the highest level of education that I can get, the only thing that I can do is to give back my education, my knowledge to those kids in my country by opening an orphanage homes for them as well as educate them with nurture and love.
Sounds like a great film. I find it amazing how a 2 hours experience with a piece of art can change your entire view of things, altering both your short term and long term choices.
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