MOVIE SUMMARY:
Ishaan Awasthi is an eight-year old whose world is filled
with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate; colors, fish, dogs and kites
are just not important in the world of adults, who are much more interested in
things like homework, marks and neatness. And, Ishaan just cannot seem to get
anything right in class. When he gets into far more trouble than his parents
can handle, he is packed off to a boarding school to "be disciplined"
Things are no different at his new school, and Ishaan has to contend with the
added trauma of separation from his family. One day a new art teacher bursts
onto the scene, Ram Shankar Nikumbh, who infects the students with joy and
optimism. He breaks all the rules of "how things are done" by asking
them to think, dream and imagine, and all the children respond with enthusiasm,
all except Ishaan. Nikumbh soon realizes that Ishaan is very unhappy, and he
sets out to discover why. With time, patience and care, he ultimately helps
Ishaan find himself.
CONTENT:
The
story is about an 8-year-old boy named Ishaan who cannot cope with the
academic demands in school. “The letters are dancing!” he once
complained when he was asked to read. Infuriated, the teacher threw him
out of the class and the students who passed by the hall mocked him for
being punished. Moreover, Ishaan reversed letters when he wrote and
demonstrated a poor understanding of mathematical concepts. He was at
the risk of repeating a grade level again because of his poor scholastic
performance.
Ishaan
began to evade homework and cut classes because of his discouragement
over his failings. When his teachers advised his parents to avail of
special education services, his family decided to send him to a boarding
school instead in the hopes that the highly structured environment will
straighten out his “behavioral problems”.
Ishaan continued struggling with the same problems in his new school.
When he was finally on the brink of suicide, his art teacher Ram Nikumbh
discovered that he had dyslexia and consequently turned his life
around.
COMMENT/FEEDBACK:
I
think this movie is a breakthrough for India. It is definitely worth
watching! However, those of us who are in the helping professions must
not deceive ourselves into thinking that we are better than what we
really are, or that all of our clients are merely victims of external
circumstances. Being in the trenches of occupational therapy practice
has taught me over and over again that “all our good works are filthy
rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us
away.” (Isaiah 64:6)
INSIGHTS:
The film emphasized that children should not be forced into the
rat race. Adults should not demand that their kids top all their
subjects so that they can live out the unfulfilled ambitions of their
parents. Each child is special in the sense that they have their own
calling, which may or may not be in line with what their families want.
Moreover, as an OT, I highly regard this movie for advocating the
“disability perspective”: that there are a lot of special children who
have given up trying to meet age-appropriate demands because of
disabilities. They then resort to inappropriate behaviors because of
exasperation and not because they are out to defy authority.
HIGHLIGHTS:
One
day of the competition, Ishaan woke up and left early that the
competition has already started when he arrived at the amphitheater. The
contestant had so much fun. At the end of the competition there mas a
tie between Ishaan and Mr. Nikumbh. However, the final decision made the
Ishaan painting of a boy at the pond the winner.
Ishaan's painting became the front cover of the school's yearbook
while Mr. Nikumbh's painting of Ishaan was the back cover of the
yearbook. Ishaan's family was so very proud of him espicially when his
teacher told him how smart and talented he was, all thank to Mr. Nikumbh
who paid attention to a boy who once didn't know how to read and
write.
