Kaur

The writer Juggy Sohal, Parvinder Shergill along with the director Kaki Wong build an intricate screenplay to showcase the journey of Avani a Sikh woman (Parvinder Shergill) continuously searching for her identity and freedom to choose the way she wants to follow the traditions and beliefs her culture preaches about.

The plot of Kaur revolves around a British South Asian Sikh girl who decides to wear a turban for the first time against her father’s wishes.

The short film opens with a voice-over of the female protagonist and long shot of her and a mid-shot of the Gurudwara followed by the title of film-Kaur on a decorated background assisting the filmmaker to establish the character arc of Avani to the viewers increasing the degree of audience engagement with the content from the very beginning. The conversations between the mother and daughter duo have been carefully planned to highlight the traditional beliefs related to women still floating in Indian society even in modern times need to be discussed and eradicated. The editing of the dramatic piece is utilised efficiently to capture the transformation Avani went ahead with the choice she made. The set design, colour palette, lighting, dialogues, costume, hair, makeup, and props have been kept simple to complement as well as elevate the subject matter of the movie.

In terms of performance, Parvinder Shergill plays Avani who wants to be close to her family but she is also a strong girl determined to do what she believes in. Shergill portrays the clarity Avani has in her thought process as she discusses the decision with her parents effectively. The young actress depicts the range of emotions Avani goes through but immediately switches to the strong version of the central character becoming a source of inspiration to many girls in the audience.

Nina Wadia as the mother is loving, and caring, she provides the emotional support Avani is craving as her daughter deals with the dilemma. Wadia also adds a comic element to the script with the way she delivers the dialogues given to her.

Stephen Uppal plays the role of Avani’s father who loves her but is also very protective of his daughter as he gets constantly reminded of his difficult past and he does not want Avani to suffer in the same manner. Uppal fits into the character’s shoes perfectly as he needs to balance between a serious and sad demeanour as per the demand of the narrative.

Kaur talks to the audience about the process of offering prayers and embracing God can vary for different people but no one has the right to question the devotion he or she has in their mind. The creative piece discusses the need of being accepted and the anxiety of being recognised differently in a new country because of the existence of diversity in humans is one thing we need to combat daily. The short film reiterates that the unpredictable nature of life is the very essence and we cannot stop living it being fearful of falling instead rise and concentrating on discovering a fresh perspective each time and improving the quality of life. The cinematic piece restates that the true meaning of life is when it is full of values and also treating everyone as equals, respecting them makes the person empathetic while doing what is right for one’s mental peace as well.