There are some stories that one needs to tell even if they are not extraordinary tales of heroic struggle or of life-changing, long, difficult journeys. My project too is one such story, which needs to be told for other stories to be told further. ‘A Window in my Room’ is a self-sponsored, short fiction film. It’s about Minal, a thirteen-year-old Punjabi girl, and her steps towards the acceptance of her own self. She sees, understands and absorbs the world around her, but at the same time explores her own self.
Minal, a shy, inquisitive and quiet girl, with the idealism of a thirteen-year-old, spends most of her time reading, pondering over love, avoiding shopping trips and trying to catch glimpses of the older boy-next-door, Arjun. She experiences the pangs of love and jealousy for the first time when her older cousin Priya, comes to stay with her to take an exam. Being older, Priya makes friends with Arjun easily, while Arjun, though friendly, remains unmindful of Minal’s presence. There is a strong interplay of personalities while Minal watches on.
Simar is Minal’s older sister, whose wedding is the backdrop for the story. Priya feels envious of Simar’s easily arranged marriage with an eligible bachelor while Simar wishes that she could exchange places with the confident and gregarious Priya. The wishes of these young women who want love on their own terms, contrasts with Minal’s simple-minded, ideal notion of love.
This project taught me that cinema requires one to keep experimenting and working on. Films and film makers’ real lives go hand-in-hand. Some films are more important at some point in life while others need to take a back seat even though they may be potential award winners. What stage the filmmaker is at in her life matters a great deal.
