Ghazaal

Whenever I see and read news about the conflicts in the middle east, I can’t help but picture the situations of the civilians caught in the middle of these wars. How most families live like its the last day of their lives. Where children and parents walk for miles and miles to find a safe refuge, and how most of them hang on to little pieces of hope to keep their sanity from fading to what seems to be a never-ending ordeal of extreme survival. Through decades of desperate struggle and terror and countless deaths that continue to add some more each day, it had me reflecting on who am I to complain about the challenges I face, and how ungrateful I had been of the life that I have been living. I have seen the chaos of war through many perspectives, from a soldier fighting for freedom, a father protecting his family, a mother hopeful for change, a boy who struggles to be a man in order to live, to an innocent child oblivious of the disorder of his surroundings, all of them worth telling just like Ragini Bhasin’s heartrending short film “Ghazaal”

The story of Ghazaal struck through my heart, and it was painful. It reminded me of the little things we take for granted and shallow circumstances we exaggerate and escalate because it is always there and we feel uncomfortable, where there are those like Ghazaal who are trying to get past those things we thought were so little while holding on to their life. As a woman, a mother, and someone who was once at the same age as Ghazaal, this film has touched me to my core. I believe that the path to womanhood is beautiful, though never easy, it is a journey that leads a girl to know herself better and take care of herself more to become a full blossomed woman. But how can one take care of herself if she’s caught in a life of continued struggle without the proper guidance of a caring mother or an adult that knows what she’s going through? And where basic needs are scarce?

Though this movie is a bit sad, it is a sad reality that we must be aware of. A significant story about life that can make anyone contemplate on the blessings that they received and the life they live. And a huge part of it being impacting is the way director Ragini Bhasin capture small details and enhanced their value to connect plot points of the story. Her excellence and passion for making films are also quite evident in the way she has delivered the film. The cinematography was perfect, as well as the sounds and production setting. The actors that took part in making this movie did very well too, particularly the talented young lady who played the role of Ghazaal. With all that being said, I’d like to take this last part to emphasize my admiration to director Ragini Bhasin, who also wrote the story, for using her love and talent for film making to show the whole world a perspective we are unable to see. Great job on this film, hoping to see more!