Thursday, November 27, 2014

Breaking Boundaries: Shalkie Kumar

Love isn’t only for poets to fathom nor is it only to be cherished young, immeasurable and incorrigible; it cannot be contained within boundaries. An affair of two, an affair between two, but unfortunately it isn't as idealistic as it sounds especially when your envisioned better half has a different God than yours.It is shameful when concepts like ‘Love Jihad’ brim in a country such as India, which glorify diversity. 


Not only it is hypocritical but also gives an outreached evidence of how religion as a tool is capable of enslaving and dividing people. In the 21st century living in a democratic country, we should be rational enough to not include religion in something as beautiful as falling in love. Why run from emotions and feelings only because he/she reads Quran, Geeta, Bible or anything else for that matter? Why cannot we keep the religion aside and judge the person and his/her family for who they are? Why do we let other personalities interfere and flare doubts in our judgments? And most importantly why have we made religion an epicenter of our decisions? It is not even the head ruling the heart, in fact it is a set of beliefs ruling everything (Doesn't sound rational to me!).So what happened when one fine day, in a random meeting, Gaurang Bhai announced his plan to make a movie on the same idea? Clue: It made us admire him more.  So Beyond Boundaries is a short documentary film coming from the efforts of people who were cognizant and insights and contributions from the people who made this cognizance possible. The twist is that it doesn't talk about the hardships of the interfaith couples instead it plans to leave a smile on your face rather than dewy tears.  It celebrates the lives of five couples from Ahmedabad, whose lives like the city itself, is a beautiful confluence of two cultures. For some friendship blossomed into love, some tested the cruel incomings of time and emerged winners, for some celebrating the festivals of both religions was an untamed joy, for some perceptions were changed for better and some received the consent for the marriage from the family member after judging her ability to sway through the traffic. These are the stories that encapsulate the simplicity and liberalness of the closest and purest of associations, marriage.So with all the respect and gratitude, I congratulate all the couples who have dared or are daring to live life on their terms and also all the families who have supported them in their decisions. And of course to all the mediums and popular culture that have recognized, accepted and celebrated not only lives but a certain revolution.

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