Spotlight May 31, 2021
Tamas: From Ritika to Ritwik
By Rajkishore Mohapatra with 7.1
documentary · Short Films · odia
One of the most important goals of art is to bring reformative change, to eventually make this world a better place. Its aim is to strive for an inclusive society where people of all genders and sexual orientations are allowed to live freely and without fear.
The documentary film is an important step in the same direction.
It offers not only a lucid and comprehensive, but also poignant and sincere account of a transgender boy's struggle to come to terms with his identity. Born as Ritika, but now having chosen an existence for himself as Ritwik, the protagonist shares with the viewer his mental health struggles, past failures in romance and society's inability to make him feel comfortable with his decisions even after all these years. What began as a sense of deep discomfort in his clothes and skin as a child, and briefly also came to be viewed as a mental illness by his parents, has now become a powerful assertion of an identity in a world that is obsessed with forcing everything into its own rigid categories.
The overarching message of the narrative remains loud and clear - one about every person's right to subscribe to the gender they want to and are most comfortable with. In the process, doing its bit to further the cause, Tamas offers a beautiful and intelligent portrayal of an issue which requires more conversation and dialogue around it in the mainstream.
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